After showing some progress with the squad late last season, Darren Moore is now expected to take West Brom into the Championship campaign, as they look to get back to the top flight in the next term. The manager is ready to let a few stars leave to reduce the wage burden on the club and one such player that is close to moving back to the Premier League is Solomon Rondon.
The Venezuelan international is a transfer target for Rafa Benitez at Newcastle United and reports suggest that the Magpies have offered £4million now to take him on loan and then a further £15million next summer to make the move permanent. The Baggies are looking to sell Rondon this summer itself to try and shed his wages from the books and reportedly have already found a replacement.
An exclusive from Team Talk today claims that Moore is ready to replace Rondon with Middlesbrough star Britt Assombalonga. The English forward only joined Boro last summer but was a regular in the first team at Riverside, picking up 15 goals in 34 Championship appearances. He has shown enough promise to be a first-team star next season as well, but reports suggest that Tony Pulis sees him as surplus requirements.
Assombalonga is a transfer target for West Brom, as they look to replace Rondon and it is understood that Middlesbrough’s interest in winger Matt Phillips could help West Brom land the Boro striker this summer. Does this move make any sense for the Baggies?
For starters, losing Rondon will reduce £40,000-a-week from the wages at Hawthorns. Rondon is now 28 and is at his prime and could have made an impact in the Championship. However, selling him will fetch funds for West Brom to improve other areas of the squad.
Selling Rondon will push Moore into the transfer market for another striker but Assombalonga is a more than an able replacement. With 45 goals and four assists in 113 Championship appearances, the Middlesbrough striker is an established player in the league and will surely make an immediate impact at the Midlands.
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He is still 25 and is certainly ready for the rigours of the top flight so West Brom can use the English ace even in the Premier League if they do achieve promotion next season. Rondon, on the other hand, has been a productive servant at Hawthorns for years now but the drop to Championship is an opportunity for West Brom to plan for the future and replacing the 28-year old with Assombalonga makes lots of sense for the Baggies this summer.
