The Baggies beat off competition from Newcastle to bring in Galloway on a season-long loan.
West Bromwich Albion assistant manager Dave Kemp has told the Birmingham Mail that the club had been monitoring Everton defender Brendan Galloway for some time, and suggested that his versatility was a key attraction.
Galloway became the Baggies’ second signing of the summer, after winger Matt Phillips, when he joined the club on a season-long loan deal from the Toffees on Monday.
Galloway had been chased by Newcastle, but it is the Premier League side who have won the battle for the 20-year-old’s signature.
Albion are light on numbers at the back, and centre-back Jonny Evans had found himself shifting across to left-back so far this season in the injury absence of Chris Brunt.
Galloway can play at both centre-back and on the left side, and it was in the latter position that he made the majority of his 19 appearances last season, filling in for Leighton Baines and Bryan Oviedo during the pair’s spells on the sidelines.
Tony Pulis’ right-hand man at the Hawthorns, Kemp, admitted that this versatility was a major attraction for the club, but revealed that they had been tracking Galloway for some time.
Kemp told the Birmingham Mail: “We’re very pleased to sign him and particularly pleased it’s for a year. He’ll have the chance to make an impact here and I’m sure he will. He’s a very talented boy and we look forward to seeing him play.
“That [solution at left-back] is obviously something we’ve looked at, but he can also play at centre-half. Left-back is a good position for him so we’ll see how it goes.”
“Yes he has been [a long-term target]. We’re very pleased to be able to bring him to the club and look forward to seeing him play.”
Galloway is likely to be an important figure for Albion this term, with Brunt not expected to return for some time yet.
Even when the experienced Northern Irishman returns, Galloway will still have a big role to play as a defensive option.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
