Exclusive: Kevin Phillips claims West Brom could send 26y/o out on loan in summer
We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns…
Kevin Phillips has claimed that West Brom might send Kenneth Zohore out on loan in the summer if they were to win promotion to the Premier League.
Albion signed Zohore, 26, from Cardiff in the summer for £8million but the Danish striker, who penned a four-year contract, has since struggled to make an impact at The Hawthorns.
Even though he is West Brom’s most-expensive signing since relegation in 2018, Zohore has started just five Championship games this season and hasn’t been named in any of Slaven Bilic’s last seven matchday squads in the league.
Overall, Zohore has scored four goals in 17 appearances across all competitions but two of those were from the penalty spot back in August while the other two came in back-to-back Championship and FA Cup clashes with Charlton.
Phillips believes that unless Zohore can prove himself to Bilic, he may have to accept that leaving The Hawthorns on loan in the summer is an option.
When asked if Phillips has a future at The Hawthorns, the ex-striker told West Brom News: “It’s a tough one to say. From the outside looking in you would say ‘if he’s struggling to get in the squad in the Championship and if West Brom were to go up, they’re going to go out and strengthen in that area’.
“He might fall down the pecking order again so it might be one of those where he gets loaned out.
“At the minute you’ve got to say it’s going to be very hard for him to break into a West Brom squad that was in the Premier League.
“Ultimately it’s down to the player with how he performs and how he reacts. But he might be someone who has to go on loan somewhere to start playing again and rediscover his form.”
Zohore has struggled for West Brom in the Championship so if they win promotion this season, it is not as if he’s going to shine in the Premier League.
Although Hal Robson-Kanu has had a good season and Charlie Austin has come up with some big game-changing appearances, Albion will need to strengthen the striker position in the summer regardless of whether they go up or not.
Zohore’s bound to find opportunities even more limited if that happens.
In other West Brom news, there has been an update on Grady Diangana’s recovery from his injury setback.