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Cape Town - West Bromwich Albion are confident that hitman Saido Berahino will put pen to paper on a new deal at the club before the New Year, according to reports in the British media.
The troubled forward has become something of a comic figure after persistently being unable to get the move away from the Hawthorns that he’s reportedly craved so desperately.
Transfer news at the Baggies in recent transfer windows has seemingly revolved around the Anglo-Burundian’s imminent departure, with the attacker keen to move onto bigger and better things, but a whole host of would-be suitors unwilling to splash the cash to take him away from the Black Country.
The likes of Stoke City, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace have all been linked to the England youth international’s signature, but as yet, none have made an offer deemed appropriate by WBA.
With Berahino's contract due to end in the summer, the Albion could lose the forward for a fee set by a tribunal - likely to be much lower than his genuine market value - in the summer.
According to the Mirror, the saga could be coming to an end, with West Brom understood to be confident that the 23-year-old has decided to stay at the club.
The report suggests that Berahino will sign a new deal before the year is out, and is being lined up for a three-year contract worth £50,000 per week.
The contract is also thought to include a £20m buy-out clause, meaning that the Baggies would be helpless to deny Berahino an exit should they receive an offer that matches this fee.
Part of Berahino's gripe with the club was due to a poor relationship with previous chairman Jeremy Peace, who was replaced by John Williams after he was appointed in Peace’s place by the club’s new Chinese owners.
In recent seasons, however, the young attacker has struggled to replicate his impact during an impressive 2014-15 campaign, and it remains to be seen whether the clubs previously linked to his signature would part with £20m to sign him.
He bagged 14 goals in 38 Premier League outings during an excellent 2014-15 campaign, but managed only four in 31 last term as his relationship with the club deteriorated.
Berahino, who moved to England from Burundi as a political refugee when he was a child, has made just four appearances so far this term - of which only three have been starts - and is yet to find the net.
His lack of urgency and recent fitness concerns have prompted criticism from West Brom legend Ally Robertson earlier this month, with the former defender telling the Express that Berahino had no excuse for not giving the Albion his best.
