West Bromwich Albion want to sign Troy Deeney again after balking at the price-tag put down by Premier League rivals Watford during the summer.
West Bromwich Albion may have secured a morale-boosting 2-0 win against Brighton on Saturday, their first in 21 Premier League games, but January signings are still absolutely essential for Alan Pardew’s side, particularly in attack.
The Baggies have scored the third fewest goals in the top flight this season. And with Salomon Rondon, Jay Rodriguez and Hal Robson-Kanu all struggling to hit the net regularly, HITC sources told us that a striker is West Brom’s top priority this month.
Specifically, Troy Deeney.
It is understood that Pardew wants Deeney at The Hawthorns and is pushing the club’s board to back his move. And, in a boost to the manager, the Birmingham Mail stated last week that Watford value their skipper at around £20 million, which is within West Brom’s budget.
And while £20 million may seem like a massively overpriced fee for a player who has scored just two Premier League goals all season, it is worth remembering that Watford were demanding far more just a few months ago.
The Express and Star reported in July that West Brom were hoping to tempt the Hornets into a sale, but they were not willing to sell Deeney for less than £30 million, a fee that understandably put the Baggies off.
So while they still may be paying over the odds, a £10 million drop in price is not to be sniffed at.
And while Deeney may have his critics, a tally of 23 Premier League goals in two seasons suggests he has the firepower to spearhead a survival bid.
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