Baggies youngster Rekeem Harper has taken number 16, which Albion cult hero Dwight Gayle had at The Hawthorns last term.
A number of West Bromwich Albion fans have taken to Twitter to comment on the news that Rekeem Harper has been given squad number 16, which belonged to loan hero Dwight Gayle last season.
The 19-year-old midfielder and England Under-19 international made his Albion debut against Bournemouth in August 2017 and enjoyed a breakthrough season last time out, featuring 23 times for the club in 2018-19.
A number of big European clubs, including Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Celtic, and Juventus, were reportedly vying for Harper’s signature over the summer, but he opted to sign a new deal at The Hawthorns instead.
With Harper penning a new three-year contract to keep him at West Brom until the end of the 2021-22 season, he has certainly been earmarked for the future, and as such the club has “upgraded” him from number 34 to number 16.
However, some West Brom fans believed that giving Harper the squad number in which Gayle impressed in last season effectively kills off any hope of the Newcastle United striker returning to The Hawthorns.
Gayle struck 24 goals and registered eight assists for Albion as they finished in the Championship playoffs (Transfermarkt), and as such there was desire to see him back in the navy and white stripes.
Here is what some Baggies supporters said on social media regarding the announcement:
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