Kevin Phillips wants West Brom to sign Andre Gray
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 backed West Brom to make a swoop to sign Watford striker Andre Gray before the transfer window closes later this month.
Valerien Ismael has seen his side win four points from their opening two Championship matches but the Baggies have only signed three new senior players since the end of last season in Alex Mowatt, Adam Reach and Matt Clarke.
According to The Athletic, Albion also want to sign a new centre-forward before the deadline passes in two weeks’ time and Gray, 30, is on their radar.
Gray was left out of Watford’s squad as they beat Aston Villa on Saturday while he only started 14 of their Championship fixtures last season. In total, he scored five times in 31 outings last term.
However, Phillips feels the Wolverhampton-born striker, who’s been capped twice by Jamaica, would be a solid addition to Ismael’s attack.
When asked if he thinks Gray could do a job for the Albion, Phillips told West Brom News: “Yes, 100 per cent, I’ve always liked Andre.
“He’s a player who needs a run of games in a side and you’ll get the best out of him. He’s a goalscorer and he’s sort of like an old-fashioned centre-forward who can hold it up.
“He’s powerful, he can score in the Premier League and he can certainly score in the Championship.
“Would wages be a major problem? I don’t know.
“Sometimes you have to push the boat out to try and get a quality player in because they could be the difference between getting out of the league and staying in the league.
“I know they paid a lot of money for Karlan Grant and gave him a long contract but if Gray was a viable option, he’d be a great addition to the West Brom squad.
“He could be the final piece of the jigsaw to help them get promoted.”
Gray has plenty of experience in England’s top two tiers, scoring 23 times in 115 Premier League appearances and netting 46 goals in 118 Championship outings.
In other West Brom news, Albion could still swoop in to sign this Premier League goalscorer on loan this month.
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