Brandon Thomas-Asante ruthlessly axed in 4-0 win v Preston, West Brom January transfer exit could be on his radar
West Brom enjoyed a thrilling week in the Championship after a resounding 4-0 victory against Preston North End but Carlos Corberan’s surprise axe of Brandon Thomas-Asante could spring up uncertainty over his future.
Albion breezed to victory with first goals of the season for Darnell Furlong and Alex Mowatt, before Matt Phillips sealed victory just past the hour, followed by Kyle Bartley’s late fourth.
The Baggies will be happy to find themselves up in eighth despite a somewhat inconsistent start, entering their game against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday (3 October) just three points shy of the playoffs.
Corberan made several changes to his lineup for the fixture against Preston on the back of a quick turnaround from the draw against Millwall at the Hawthorns but one of the most surprising change was the decision to axe Thomas-Asante, one which proved particularly justified after the result.
However, Corberan’s decision could certainly leave lingering doubts in the mind of the former Salford City striker over his status in the Spaniard’s starting line-up and more crucially his long-term future.
The 24-year-old hasn’t enjoyed the best of form so far this campaign, scoring just two goals from his seven Championship appearances so far this campaign (WhoScored) – his last goal coming in the 4-2 win over Middlesbrough at the end of August.
Josh Maja’s injury blow will have provided Thomas-Asante with the chance to stake his claim as West Brom’s permanent striker option but this latest snub certainly doesn’t do him any favours and after the summer transfer interest from elsewhere, it’s something he may consider if it continues.
The Milton Keynes-born forward, who was linked with a deadline day move away from The Hawthorns to Stoke City [Mail Sport, 1 September] and it won’t be a surprise to see their Championship rivals return with an offer of some sort in January.
Thomas-Asante certainly has the ability to be a West Brom regular, possessing great pace and technical acumen to trouble defences and become the striker he knows he can become but he needs to find the back of the net with great regularity if he is to match it with some of the Championship’s best strikers.
That’s why Corberan made the decision to take him out of the firing line against Preston due to his inconsistent form but should that worrying trend continue in the coming weeks, a January exit may very well be on Thomas-Asante’s radar with the likes of Daryl Dike returning to full fitness at that stage and Josh Maja hopefully firing on all cylinders upon his return.
In other West Brom news, Corberan could be set to make two changes for their Championship clash against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday (3 October).