Albion were right to pull the plug on Renato Neto.

They really had no choice other than to abandon the record-breaking deal for the Brazilian midfielder from Belgian club Gent.

Everything was in place for the signing to be announced on Saturday morning.

A fee had been agreed with Gent, which would have comfortably eclipsed the £5.2 million paid to Valencia for Australian goalkeeper Maty Ryan (below).

The Argus: The player was at the club's Lancing training complex on Friday and had agreed personal terms.

There were no work permit issues as Albion prepared to unveil the first Brazilian to play for the club.

Then the results of the medical revealed an historical knee issue which represented too much of a risk.

A second opinion was sought, just to make sure they were not being overly cautious. The verdict was the same.

It is frustrating for both parties. For Neto, by all accounts a likeable character, whose hopes of playing in the Premier League have been shattered.

And for Albion. The recruitment team had been tracking him since November 2014. A lot of work had gone into reaching the point where they were on the brink of unveiling his capture.

 

Another club, with more forgiving medical standards, may take a chance on Neto. That is up to them, Albion could not afford to.

Not when trying to survive their first season in the Premier League. Imagine the outcry if he had been crocked for any length of time by the existing damage to his knee?

Albion do not need to take the gamble either, not now their recruitment policy is structured to survive such a setback.

Gone are the days when they tended to place all their eggs in one basket - and then had to settle for inferior second, third or fourth-best if the deal they really wanted did not materialise.

They now have a cluster of targets for a position, all of a similar standard. Some are still desired more than others, but there is no longer such a sharp fall between choice one and two.

So where does this leave the pursuit of another central midfielder? Aaron Mooy, who was of interest but not at the top of the list, has rejoined Huddersfield.

Werder Bremen do not want to sell Thomas Delaney (below right), so trying to force through a deal for the Danish international within Albion's financial boundaries would be difficult.

The Argus: There are still more than six weeks left before the transfer window shuts, plenty of time to land an alternative to Neto.

It is worth remembering the setback Albion suffered deeper into the transfer window last summer, when their club record bid to buy attacking midfielder Alex Pritchard from Spurs was hijacked at the eleventh hour by Norwich.

They shrugged that off and won promotion. Staying in the Premier League will be even tougher, but they are building a solid base.

The defence has a sound and experienced look to it now that Ryan and Austrian left-back Markus Suttner are on board.

Chris Hughton's options at the back will be further enhanced if Liverpool loan target Joe Gomez is landed too, following Connor Goldson's return from heart surgery.

A bigger concern is whether there will be enough goals in the squad.

A worry not helped if the ankle injury suffered by Anthony Knockaert ten minutes into the opening friendly against Fortuna Dusseldorf in Austria sidelines the dazzling Frenchman for a sustained period after all those goals and assists last season.

It would be useful in that respect if who ever Albion sign instead of Neto can chip in as well. Every goal will be precious to avoiding the bottom three in the Premier League.