Former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips has suggested the club would be better looking at domestic targets after Albion were once again linked with Fenerbahce’s Vedat Muriqi.
The Kosovo international has established himself as one of the top strikers in Turkey over the years and he continued his fine form in this campaign until it was halted, registering 13 goals in 25 league games. And, it has been reported that Albion are monitoring his situation, whilst the Yellow Canaries are willing to cash in on their prized asset for €20m, a fee the Baggies would pay.
With journalist Serdar Ali Celikler telling VOLE’s YouTube channel that Albion’s interest is genuine, providing they win promotion, it seems as though this has legs, although he stressed Lazio and two Premier League clubs are also keen.
However, speaking to West Brom News, Phillips outlined why giving the 26-year-old his first taste of English football would be a risky move.
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“I’d be very cautious of going for someone like that because when you’re promoted, you want that player to hit the ground running and score goals early to keep you in the Premier League. It’s very, very difficult for a foreign player to do that straight away.
“When you look at the stats, it probably takes these players a couple of seasons for them to hit the ground running.”
Some Albion fans may dispute that, with the club enjoying plenty of success in the foreign market in recent years. Matheus Pereira is the obvious example, as the Brazilian has been a revelation since joining from Sporting Lisbon on loan this season, whilst Peter Odemwingie, Youssouf Mulumbu and Jonas Olsson are just three players who became huge favourites at The Hawthorns despite having never played in England before joining.
As mentioned, any deal for Muriqi will depend on promotion and that looks likely with Slaven Bilic’s men six points clear of third-placed Fulham.
