West Brom have new star in Rabby Nzingoula, Serie A striker thinks so

Rabby Nzingoula played his first 22 minutes for West Bromwich Albion against Norwich City.

The 20-year-old midfielder was announced as a West Brom player as quickly as reports began touting him to The Hawthorns.

Evidently, it was a deal that Albion chiefs almost succeeded in keeping totally under wraps.

Joining from Ligue 1 Strasbourg, the French youth international came off the bench in the 68th minute against Norwich on Saturday.

James Morrison's side opened the Championship season with a 2-1 win at Carrow Road, and Nzingoula looked good in his second-half cameo.

Clearly a player with a bright future, West Brom have been urged to be careful with him by a respected European goalscorer.

What did Akor Adams say about Rabby Nzingoula?

Given his age and need to develop his match fitness, it was always likely Morrison would ease Nzingoula into his West Brom side.

However, he could be a talent that proves too difficult to keep out of the starting XI soon enough, especially with Alex Mowatt now gone.

Following the win over Norwich, West Brom took to their official Instagram account to pay tribute to Nzingoula's first minutes as a Baggie.

They asked supporters to summarise his debut outing in one word, but Venezia striker Akor Adams took that a step further.

"He's a star, take care of him," the 15-cap Nigerian international responded in the replies.

Adams and Nzingoula were teammates at Montpellier for a few months during the 2024-25 season, when the Frenchman was on loan there.

Now playing Serie A football, Adams has also represented Spanish side Sevilla as well as Norwegian clubs Lillestrom and Sogndal.

But just how good was Nzingoula against Norwich?

How Nzingoula flashed defensive ability in Norwich debut

Arriving with the profile of a box-to-box midfielder, Nzingoula is expected to contribute in all facets of the game for West Brom.

However, in his 22 minutes at Carrow Road, he showcased ability that offered a glimpse into the all-round midfielder he can become.

As per FotMob, Nzingoula completed two successful dribbles, played one pass into the final third and took one touch in the opposition box.

Meanwhile, he also made three tackles, two recoveries, one clearance, won five of his nine ground duels and both of his two aerial duels.

To contest that many duels in such a brief period of time on the pitch showed the kind of hunger and desire he has to make his mark.

West Brom fans demand players give everything for the badge, and Nzingoula will soon become a fan favourite if Norwich is anything to go by.