With West Bromwich Albion facing yet another forward injury crisis, a move for Lewis Grabban in the free agent market could improve their attacking options.
Josh Maja, a summer acquisition for the Baggies, has torn ankle ligaments and will miss the next eight weeks of action following last weekend’s scoreless draw with Bristol City.
Daryl Dike is another who is still recovering from a torn achilles injury he suffered during the previous season, but the USA international may not be able to play until the new year.
A number of attacking players were loaned out by Albion during the summer transfer window. Karlan Grant, Mo Faal, Rayhaan Tulloch, and Jovan Malcolm went to, respectively, Cardiff City, Doncaster Rovers, Bradford City, and Cheltenham Town.
Brandon Thomas-Asante is the only available recognized striker at this point, though Carlos Corberan may occasionally try to switch Matt Phillips into the center position for tactical reasons.
The source of goals will be a key concern for Baggies supporters as WBA sit in the middle of the league after their first six games, having combined for just three goals this season.
There will be concern that Thomas-Asante will be under extreme pressure if Phillips joins Maja and Dike on the treatment table because injuries have a tendency to catch up with players. Last season, injuries also caught up with Phillips after the former Scottish international suffered a quad injury that kept him out of the final 19 games during their play-off charge.
Given these uncertainties surrounding the Black Country team, the organization may need to look at the free agent market in the near future; the ideal target might be Lewis Grabban, a seasoned Championship forward.
What is the present state of Lewis Grabban?
Since departing Saudi Arabian team Al-Ahli in January, the 35-year-old is still without a club.
Grabban has been looking for work since leaving, but given that teams can sign free agents at any time throughout the season, he might still draw interest from the second tier.
The forward, who was born in Croydon, has extensive Championship experience with numerous clubs in England, making 284 games overall for teams including Crystal Palace, Millwall, Norwich City, Bournemouth, Reading, Sunderland, Aston Villa, and most recently Nottingham Forest.
Why should West Brom take Lewis Grabban into consideration?
With few choices at the top of the pitch, WBA must score goals frequently to put themselves in the running for promotion. Grabban might be the missing link.
Grabban still had his scoring touch in his final season in the Championship, scoring 12 goals in 32 league appearances while playing for the East Midlands.
The 35-year-old also demonstrated his ability to play deeper during his previous season at Forest, averaging 14.5 passes per 90 minutes, according to WhoScored.com, which enabled him to tally four assists.
As a result, he might take on some of the traits Josh Maja demonstrated during his early tenure and enable the seasoned forward to work well with Thomas-Asante, with the two of them feeling at ease playing off another striker.
Given their fragile forward line and precarious financial circumstances, the Baggies may find it appealing to sign Grabban to a short-term contract.
Not enough goals were scored by West Brom previous season, which was one of their biggest issues and ultimately one of the main reasons they didn’t make the play-offs despite a strong run.
With just seven league goals, Thomas-Asante concluded as Albion’s highest scorer; therefore, it would be worthwhile to take a chance by adding another striker to the group in an effort to turn around the teams’ fortunes.
However, at 35, Grabban would need time to regain his pre-retirement fitness, which would not be ideal for Corberan, who would be eager for a quick effect.
The West Midlands team’s options are restricted now that the transfer window has closed, but adding someone of Grabban’s caliber might be considered as a smart move to introduce new ideas and healthy competition to the club.
