West Brom should stop pursuit of Cameron Archer after transfer development
West Brom should terminate any interest in signing Cameron Archer on loan in the January transfer window, with the club already possessing the required attacking talent to fire them up the Championship table.
The 20-year-old striker has struggled for first-team minutes at Villa Park this season, having featured just six times this season, and all of his appearances coming from the substitutes bench.
The Baggies were linked with a move for the hotshot last summer, before acquiring the services of Brandon Thomas-Asante from Salford City, and surely don’t need to dip into the transfer market again in January. [Express and Star]
With Thomas-Asante and Daryl Dike starting together as a strike partnership in the club’s warm weather camp friendly against Elche – in which they lost 1-0 – the future of West Brom’s forward line is all but confirmed.
The duo could form a potent combination during the second half of the season if Dyke can steer clear of any injuries, and a partnership which could strike fear into almost any defence in the league.
Although there are concerns from fans that Dyke isn’t a realistic long-term option, you have to give the forward a fresh start – plainly put, you can’t have him on the bench because of assurances to Aston Villa regarding Archer’s minutes.
Thomas-Asante meanwhile seems to be coming into his own recently since Carlos Corberan’s arrival, getting his name on the score-sheet against Stoke City with a ludicrous overhead kick.
Yes, there is an argument to say Archer is a potent finisher, but his acquisition would just be a brief plaster to cover the deeper wound that Steve Bruce left at the club.
Although Archer remains contracted to Aston Villa, his brother Jordan, who plays for Southport in the National League, recently revealed that the striker would prefer a move to Preston North End than any other Championship club. [Sunderland Echo]
The forward enjoyed a fruitful loan spell with the Lilywhites last season and should be allowed to re-unite with this club by Ron Gourlay and Corberan, who must improve other areas of the first team’s squad first.
Instead of bringing in another forward, the Spanish manager should focus on dealing with several players’ expiring contracts, and bringing in some fresh legs in the middle of the park.
In other West Brom news, Mo Faal has secured a loan switch to AFC Flyde with it being confirmed