Odemwingie faces season in West Brom wilderness as chairman Peace digs in heels over transfer fee

Peter Odemwingie faces the prospect of a year in exile at West Brom with chairman Jeremy Peace insisting the 31-year-old will only leave at the right price.
The striker, who sparked fury at Albion and amusement nationwide when he turned up at QPR in January, is desperate to go and has been linked with moves to Swansea, Hull and Crystal Palace.
However, Peace has told the Birmingham Mail that he has no intention of agreeing a departure unless it is right for West Brom.

Outcast: Peter Odemwingie, West Brom's wantaway striker, faces another season on the sidelines after chairman Jeremy Peace said he'd only sell him if the price was right

 

Odemwingie could be forced to sit out the remaining 12 months on his contract if the club play hardball.
‘We have a player who is under contract until the end of the season,’ said Peace.
‘Unless something comes in to change our way of thinking he will be back in pre-season and we will deal with that.
‘We took a view at the end of January - not only for the reasons of Peter Odemwingie or Queens Park Rangers, also whichever agents were involved who acted disgracefully, but for the long term of this football club that we have to behave a certain way.

Benched: Odemwingie spent much of the second half of the season on the bench after trying to force a move to QPR during the January transfer window

‘If we don’t do that they will all be knocking on the door. That said, unless we get an offer we’re happy with we won’t sell him.’
The Russian-Nigerian reacted furiously to not being allowed to join QPR in January by launching a Twitter tirade at the club.
Fans were not impressed and neither was manager Steve Clarke, who fined the player.

Hilarious: Odemwingie memorably turned up at Loftus Road on transfer deadline day in an attempt to push a move through

Since then Odemwingie has changed agents but continued to rant at regular intervals and could be seen as a destabilising influence in the dressing room.
Equally, Peace does not want his club to be seen as a soft touch and is prepared to stick to his principles unless a reasonable offer is made.
It means he is prepared to write off Odemwingie’s £40,000-a-week wages for a year.