Positive summer signings for West Bromwich Albion
By James Reeve
The transfer window is coming to a close but fans of West Bromwich Albion should feel confident with the signings the club has made this summer.
The Baggies finished the 2016/17 campaign in 10th place and, while they are not expected to push much further up the league this time out, some new faces were necessary.
Club captain Darren Fletcher left for Stoke City on a free transfer, leaving West Brom with a gaping hole in the heart of their team.
Enter Gareth Barry, the perfect short-term replacement for the former Manchester United midfielder.
Barry has been a consistent player across his long career, one in which he is on the verge of breaking Ryan Giggs’ Premier League appearance record, and his presence in the West Brom team will be extremely useful across a long season.
Barry is defensively sound and moves the ball around often during matches, keeping the flow of play progressing – dictating the speed of play.
The former England international is in the twilight of his career now, at 36 years old, but he will be able to contribute during the initial one-year deal he signed with the Baggies.
But Barry has been just one of many impressive new signings for Tony Pulis’ side.
26-year-old Egyptian centre back Ahmed Hegazi has been arguably the Baggies’ best summer signing so far, picking up a goal and two Man of the Match awards in three Premier League matches courtesy of whoscored.com.
His debut for West Brom, a 1-0 home victory over Bournemouth, saw him have three shots on goal, scoring once, while also dominating in the air with four aerial challenges won.
The Egyptian’s presence in the air fits well with West Brom’s set-piece style of play, with a further six aerials won in his second outing in the league.
He has joined on a loan deal, but if his performances continue in this fashion, it would be expected to be turned into a full transfer come next summer.
West Brom have conducted possibly their best dealings in the past week, with Oliver Burke, Kieran Gibbs and Grzegorz Krychowiak (loan) all joining the club.
All three players could become regular first team players for the Baggies and could help contribute to keeping the team floating around the top half of the league table.
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With the addition of Jay Rodriguez up front also, West Bromwich Albion also have a bit more of a goal threat than they did last season and could conceivably challenge teams around them to finish closer to 9th or 8th this season.