West Bromwich Albion are a team on the rise and their stature in the Premier League is rapidly rising from the tag of the underdogs to a side good enough to challenge for a European spot in the near future. Although the Baggies have mustered merely 1 win in their last 6 league outings, they are placed 8th on the league table with 44 points from 32 outings in the top flight of English football and Tony Pulis has done a fine job in constructing a decent side.
However, as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton on Saturday, a testament to the perception that they need to cut their loose ends and bolster their squad in the summer was thrown into the limelight. Pulis has been shrewd in getting the right targets under his ranks and needs to continue the same after the end of the ongoing campaign. Championship has been a breeding ground for top quality talents and he might take a dip into the aforesaid pool in the summer.
One of the players which he definitely needs to place on his radar is Derby County’s outstanding winger, Tom Ince. The 25-year-old is enjoying a really productive season with the Rams, having scored 13 goals and has also registered 5 assists to his name in 40 appearances. He is on the lips of the football fraternity as a prospective Premier League player and no wonder why a club like West Bromwich Albion should really pounce on him, for he has the calibre to ply his trade at the top level.
Predominantly a right winger, Ince could be pencilled at the central attacking midfield slot without tarnishing his effectiveness. He blasts forward in a blink, cuts inside meticulously and barely refrains from shooting from handsome distances. Apart from dictating the tempo of the game in the final third, he carves openings for his side, plucks jaw-dropping passes, leaves no blade of the grass unattended on his flank and his work-ethic is simply exemplary.
The Throstles haven’t found the back of the net on a serial basis and acquiring someone like Ince, who operates with a noteworthy goal scoring knack, would bring a welcome change at the club. Considering the fact that Derby County have fallen off the race for a playoff spot, the former Hull City midfielder might be personally looking for new adventures. If Pulis manages to make a deal, he would strike gold and it would unarguably be a fantastic piece of business to carry his team forward.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored