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Darren Moore is expected to be named as the West Bromwich Albion head coach on a permanent basis as the club prepares for an assault on the Championship next season, BirminghamLive understands.

Despite a poor campaign in the Premier League that led to relegation, Moore’s six-match tenure in a caretaker capacity towards the end of the year yielded eleven points, including wins over Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

The fan favourite is also understood to be a hit among the current playing squad.

In the last few weeks the battle appeared to have been between Moore and Brentford manager Dean Smith for the vacancy that had been freed up by the departing Alan Pardew.

Moore, the odds-on favourite in that time, looks to have won that race, despite having no previous experience - in a coaching capacity - of the Championship.

To this point, ‘Big Dave’ has remained coy on whether he’d be interested in the role on a full-time basis.

“For me to comment on my position now, my position is to focus on the game,” Moore said after the final day defeat to Crystal Palace.

“It would be wrong to speak about Darren Moore now, I know you need to ask the questions, but once we know where we are I’ll be happy to speak to you.”

The affable former centre-half made more than 100 appearances for the Baggies between 2001 and 2006 and in that time was promoted from England’s second tier on two occasions under Gary Megson.

He was also part of the Derby County side that defeated Albion in the play-off final in 2007.

A decision on the managerial front was expected to be made in the near future after chief executive Mark Jenkins and technical consultant Giuliano Terraneo flew to China at the beginning of the week to hold talks with owner Guochuan Lai about the appointment.

A boss was hoped to be in place before the club’s transfer business ensued.

It’s expected to be a particularly hectic period for the club, with a number of recruits and departures predicted.

Money pocketed

West Brom have banked a whopping £94,666,492 in TV cash and prize money, the Premier League revealed.

The Baggies netted £40,771,108 from their equal share in the League’s overseas TV deal and a further £34,812,558 from domestic broadcasters.

Facility fees, owing to the ten Albion games screened live on TV, contributed another £12,312,666.

And there was also a central commercial payment of £4,838,892.

But the sizeable sum was still the lowest in the top-flight and some way short of the club’s £114 million windfall last summer because of a huge cut in merit money.

Albion received £13.5 million for finishing tenth in the 2016/17 campaign, but only netted just shy of £2 million after ending the 2017/18 season bottom of the table.

West Brom are also due a parachute payment equal to 55 per cent of the total broadcasting revenue.

These cash injections will be welcomed by controlling shareholder Guochuan Lai and chief executive Mark Jenkins, who returned to the club in February.

Jenkins said earlier this year he was “shocked” by the financial mismanagement that had taken place during his 14 months away from the club.

He also said the coffers had got so low that the club had been forced to take out an overdraft facility for the first time in over a decade.

West Brom were ranked 27th in the latest Deloitte Football Money League, with a revenue of £140 million for the 2016/17 financial year.

Albion’s accounts for the year up to July 2017 showed a £39 million pre-tax profit.

Jenkins expects the next set of accounts to project a loss with last summer’s spending spree set to catch up.

Close to £40 million, a record outlay for the club, was spent on transfers and loan fees while very little came back the other way.

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Big contracts were dished out, notably to Polish international Grzegorz Krychowiak, who was understood to have earned £108,000-a-week on loan from Paris Saint Germain.

Revenues will take a severe hit in the Championship next season when Albion will receive a fraction of the TV cash.

It’s thought the club will miss out on around £45 million from broadcasters next summer after suffering relegation.

Facility fees will also drop significantly.

Clubs get around £2.5 million per match in the top-flight compared to around £100,000 in the second tier.

Most senior players have ‘flexi-down’ contracts meaning their pay will likely be halved this summer which should help to offset some of the huge losses in TV cash.

But players will need to be sold, especially the highest earners, to balance the books and to help the club comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

Albion maxed out on player wages last summer and came perilously close to contravening FFP guidelines.

West Brom will also receive less cash in sponsorship, merchandising, commercial deals and gate receipts after big reductions in season ticket prices.

The new pricing strategy was described by Jenkins as a “statement of intent” and welcomed by Darren Moore.

“We value the supporters,” said Moore, who was installed as caretaker manager for the final six matches of the season.

“The club’s clear intent on reducing prices shows how we feel towards supporters, they’re very important.

“They acted like the 12th man for us in that run of games.

“The fans played a huge part this season, but they’ll play an even bigger part next season.”