Pulis plays down Fazio-Berahino swap talk

West Brom head coach Tony Pulis says the expected arrival of Federico Fazio from Tottenham has no bearing on whether Saido Berahino will go in the opposite direction.

Fazio arrived at The Hawthorns on Friday for a medical just days after West Brom confirmed they had rejected a bid from Spurs for Berahino.

A statement from chairman Jeremy Peace explained the club had “no interest” in selling Berahino and that a sale was not on their agenda.

Pulis confirmed Fazio’s arrival for a medical, but played down the suggestion it was part of a swap deal involving Berahino.

“The lad’s here having a medical and we’re hoping to try and get it done if we can,” he said of the former Sevilla centre-back.

“We’re hoping we can conclude it one way or the other.

“That deal has absolutely nothing to do with Saido’s position at this football club.

“We want Saido to stay at this football club. As I’ve said before, you never say never in football – there’s players of greater stature than Saido where people say they’ll never sell and then they sell.

“We’d like Saido to stay, we think it would be in his interests to stay football-wise and we’ll do our damndest to try and keep him here.”

Speculation regarding Berahino’s future has rumbled on over recent months, with Liverpool also credited with an interest earlier this year.

“Saido has been good as gold from the first minute I’ve walked in here,” Pulis added.

“He was a bit sullen on transfer windows – irrespective of who you are they do disrupt people and football clubs.

“The sooner the window’s over the better. I’ve told Saido the same, he’s got to get his head down and work hard and keep showing the quality he’s shown over the past six or seven months.”