West Bromwich Albion were linked with the highly rated striker – but he won’t be plying his trade at The Hawthorns.
A player linked with West Bromwich Albion has officially joined another side in the West Midlands.
According to Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws, the Baggies were keen on signing Genk striker Mbwana Samatta this month.
The Tanzania international fired Genk to the Jupiler League title in 2018-19 with 20 goals, while in all competitions he netted 32 and grabbed six assists (Transfermarkt) last term.
This season, Samatta has scored 10 goals including three in the Champions League, with Liverpool’s world-class defence also breached by the 27-year-old (Transfermarkt).
The Belgian report claimed that Albion were considering a move to trigger the £10million release clause in Samatta’s contract, while Brighton, Norwich City and Crystal Palace were also linked with his services.
Samatta would have undoubtedly bolstered Slaven Bilic’s attacking ranks, but rather than The Hawthorns, the West Midlands stadium where he’ll be playing now will be Villa Park, after Premier League strugglers Aston Villa snapped him up on a reported £10million deal (BBC Sport).
Admittedly, West Brom are top of the Championship table, with 50 league goals to their name, so it’s not like attack appears to be the most pressing issue for the Baggies at present.
Nonetheless, with Charlie Austin very much hit and miss at present, Hal Robson-Kanu not being a natural number nine despite his best efforts, and Kenneth Zohore having started just five league games, it’s understandable why Bilic could potentially have been looking at strengthening his attacking ranks.
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