Brandon Thomas-Asante’s stylish finish for West Bromwich Albion helped the Baggies pick up a point versus Stoke City last time out, the ex-Salford City striker playing the role of hero on the day for the hosts with a first-time shot beating Potters goalkeeper Jack Bonham to make the score 1-1.
This means Carlos Corberan’s promotion hopefuls are now unbeaten in two matches to stop a momentary rot in the West Midlands which had seen them lose two on the spin prior, even with the injuries beginning to pile up for the Championship club.
Baggies midfielder Matt Phillips is one long-term absentee as revealed by Corberan recently, with striker Josh Maja also sidelined once more with a serious injury – the ex-Fulham man expected to be out for four months owing to an ankle ligament issue.
The West Midlands club could use the upcoming transfer window to recruit a new striker to bolster the ranks alongside Thomas-Asante therefore, with the Baggies rumoured to be in for one deadly striker who has previously taken the second tier by storm.
West Brom transfers latest – Brereton Diaz interest
Reports in Spain are suggesting that Villarreal could be tempted to offload their faltering striker Ben Brereton Diaz this January, the ex-Blackburn man a feared figure up top when pulling on a Riversiders strip in the Championship before relocating to Spain.
The long-haired forward has failed to settle in his new surroundings for the The Yellow Submarine, with the Baggies keen to offer the 6 foot 1 striker a new short-term home on loan to enable him to get back to his goalscoring best.
The Spanish publication are also speculating that the likes of Leeds United, Leicester City and Southampton are keen to land Brereton Diaz from the second tier, with fierce competition for his signature heating up in January.
West Brom should make the former Blackburn attacker their number one target however, bringing in a proven goalscorer that could give them the edge in the intense promotion battle which would also end up softening the blow of Maja’s lengthy injury.
Brereton Diaz’s record at Championship level
Initially goal-shy for the Riversiders, the 24-year-old forward never looked back after a potent 2021-22 season for the Lancashire club saw him catapulted into the limelight.
Brereton Diaz – who would win a cap for adopted nation Chile off the back of this standout individual campaign – netted 22 goals for Blackburn during that season but his goals alone weren’t enough for the club to reach their target of the playoffs as a collective.
Brereton Diaz @ Blackburn Rovers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Season | Games | Goals | Assists |
2022-23 season | 43 | 14 | 4 |
2021-22 season | 37 | 22 | 3 |
2020-21 season | 40 | 7 | 5 |
It just hasn’t worked out in Spain for the clinical Championship goalscorer surprisingly despite joining the La Liga side in the form of his life, goalless from 19 appearances with Villarreal to date.
The Chile international has been arguably underutilised in his new location – only averaging 22 minutes per game in the Spanish top flight as per Sofascore – and so could view a move to the Hawthorns this January as a viable transfer to make to feel cherished again.
Labelled as a menacing forward that had “cracked the Championship” last season by football pundit and ex-striker Glenn Murray speaking on ITV Sports, Corberan will hope Brereton Diaz can pick up from where he left off in the second tier if he signs on the dotted line for the Baggies in January.
