West Brom are reportedly eyeing up a move for Middlesbrough striker Britt Assombalonga. The 25-year-old is supposedly not wanted by Tony Pulis for the upcoming season and is ready to be shipped out for a sizeable bid. The Baggies, who might be on the verge of losing their £40,000-per-week attacking ace Salomon Rondon is ready to sell the Venezuelan this very summer.
Getting relegated to the Championship has its disadvantages, the most obvious of it being the financial loss. Rondon holds one of the biggest contracts in the West Brom ranks and is proving to be a luxury that the club can simply not afford. Darren Moore will have to cut down on spending while trying to re-establish the side for a Premier League promotion. However, if Rondon leaves, a replacement will have to be signed and the Baggies head coach is considering Assombalonga as his prime target.
The Boro forward could be the right man to succeed into the shoes of Rondon, adding significant firepower at the Hawthorns. He netted the ball 15 times in 46 appearances last season and also has a single cap for DR Congo.
Middlesbrough smashed their own transfer record to get Assombalonga from Nottingham Forest last summer. The striker was coming off his third season with the Forresters, scoring 30 goals in 69 appearances. Prior to that, he featured for League One side, Peterborough United, in the 2013/14 season. Assombalonga’s career started out in the youth ranks of Watford, having joined the side in 2010, aged 17. He always showed great promise with a prolific scoring record as an academy youngster.
Assombalonga also was a regular in the Hornets reserve side and later made his debut in the goalless draw against Coventry City in March 2012. He was sent out on loan to Wealdstone, Braintree Town and Southend United for further development and but could manage just 4 appearances for the Hornets senior team.
The 25-year-old has proven himself in the Championship level and is capable of shouldering first team responsibilities for West Bromwich Albion. Standing at 5 feet 10 inches, he is an athletic presence with a versatile ability on the ball.
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With the likes of Martin Braithwaite, Patrick Bamford, Rudy Gestede and Ashley Fletcher already at Riverside, Pulis can afford to let go of Assombalonga ahead of the 2018/19 season. Selling him will also give Boro the leverage to go after more necessary additions in other parts of the pitch.
