‘Licking your lips’ – Exclusive: Pundit makes mouthwatering West Brom striker transfer claim
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 any striker who West Brom want to sign would be licking their lips over the attacking midfield options they could link with at The Hawthorns.
Since the end of last season, Matheus Pereira, Grady Diangana and Callum Robinson have all returned to the Baggies on permanent deals while a second loan deal for Filip Krovinovic is on the verge of being completed.
Slaven Bilic’s squad also boasts the likes of Matt Phillips, Kyle Edwards, Kamil Grosicki and Conor Gallagher, who are all well-known for creating chances for strikers to score.
West Brom are yet to sign a new striker since winning promotion to the Premier League but Huddersfield’s Karlan Grant is widely seen as Bilic’s top target going into the final weeks of the transfer window.
Ex-Baggies forward Phillips believes that a player like Grant could have his head-turned in Albion’s favour due to the attacking strength of the squad.
“If I was going to go in there now, I’d be looking at where I’m going to get the services and asking: ‘Who’s going to create the opportunities for me?’ When you reel those sorts of attacking players off, you’d be licking your lips at it,” Phillips told West Brom News.
“Any potential striker that’s coming in knows they’re going to get service off these boys so that’s certainly going to help moving forward for the rest of the season and it’ll help sell the club to a player for Slaven Bilic and the board.”
Although West Brom have failed to win in their opening three Premier League matches, they have still managed to score five goals, which isn’t bad for a newly-promoted team.
Out of the other teams to play three times, Chelsea and Tottenham have only scored once more than Bilic’s side and Wolves and Southampton have netted just three goals each.
Pereira’s assisted two of Albion’s three goals after assisting 20 in all competitions last season.
Grant should be looking at Pereira’s record and really wanting to play in front of the creative Brazilian.
In other West Brom news, Albion are keen to sign this 22-year-old international forward.
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