West Bromwich Albion have completed their 4th signing of this transfer window in the form of Allan Nyom who has joined from Watford in a deal rumoured to be around £3m. The 28-year old made a last minute decision to join the Baggies and has signed on a 4-year deal. He will be replacing Christian Gamboa who recently joined Celtic. He will take up the No.2 jersey vacated by the departing Gamboa. Nyom was supposedly on his way to Spain to hold talks with prospective clubs but got a last minute call from his agent regarding the offer from West Brom and he wasted no time in deciding to stay in the Premier League. Nyom was a regular fixture for the Hornets last season where he made 36 appearances for them. But the arrival of Walter Mazzarri has resulted in him being deemed surplus to requirements. The Italian prefers playing in a 3-5-2 formation with a 3-man defence and the change in the set-up resulted in Nyom’s inability to fit in properly, at least from the manager’s viewpoint.
Meanwhile, at West Brom, Tony Pulis has often being accused of the one-dimensional and uninventive brand of football his teams play. Originating from his days at Stoke, his penchant for physical players who would just about be capable of stifling the opposition but do little offensively themselves had resulted in a plethora of non-scoring draws and low scoring affairs. While some of the clubs have accepted such a strategy which more often than not enables them stay in the Premier League, it offers little entertainment-wise for fans and players alike.
And as per expectations they have looked stagnated in the League and needed some radical changes in terms of players. While the wholesale changes expected from some quarters did not materialise there have been a few additions which will help the team play a more dynamic brand of football. Matt Phillips was signed to provide pace on the wings and Brendan Galloway was brought in from Everton to freshen things up at left-back. And in a fairly busy period towards the end of the transfer window, the Baggies first completed the signing of Nacer Chadli and then secured Nyom’s signature on deadline day.
The player will add much needed verve on the flanks. He is an adept dribbler and likes to bomb forward. His crosses are accurate and he is capable of providing ammunition for the attackers from the wings. His ability to concentrate is key and more often than not helps him cut down on mistakes.
With reports of Hal Robson-Kanu joining in due time, it seems West Brom will be mildly satisfied with their performance in the transfer window.
