West Bromwich Albion are preparing for a move to rope in Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths. The Baggies have been in the market as they are looking for a forward and Tony Pulis has identified him as a potential target.
Griffiths has been one of the vital members of Brendan Rodgers’ squad as Celtic dominated the domestic circuit in the last season. The Hoops claimed a domestic treble including an ‘Invincibles’ Scottish Premiership title which was the highlight of the last season.
Griffiths has been primarily very good in terms of scoring goals as the Scotland international has found the net 18 times in the Premier League so far despite not being the first choice which is a quite a commendable job. Brendan Rodgers had opted for a single striker this season and he has mostly deployed Moussa Dembele up front. Griffiths played the second fiddle to the player but has contributed almost equally for the Bhoys.
However, a player of his calibre might feel the urge to have a lot more first team game time and Celtic can certainly cash in on this opportunity. Since joining The Scottish champions from Wolves in 2014 he has accumulated a goal tally of 85 in 142 matches.
Griffiths can equally be dangerous from set piece situations and we have seen this recently against England. The 26-year-old scored two scintillating free kicks to give the lead to his country but a late Harry Kane equaliser spoiled the party otherwise it could have been a famous win for the Scottish national team.
Griffiths could be an upgrade to the available striking options for Pulis. Both Salomon Rondon and Hal Robson-Kanu had their fair share of chances in the Premier League but weren’t able to impress Pulis. Celtic wouldn’t mind letting go of a player who is not the first choice striker anymore. Pulis seriously needs to bolster his options up front and a prolific striker like Griffiths could emerge as a cherry on the top of the cake.
Newcastle United are also looking for a suitable forward for them. Rafa Benitez has been handed a fat transfer budget and he has been looking for an attacker who could lead the line next season. Dwight Gayle has had the knack of getting injured while Benitez cannot depend on Aleksandar Mitrovic entirely.
Griffiths performance for his native country raised a few eyebrows and Pulis would love to work with him at the HawthornsW next season.
