West Brom’s record signing promises more than just goals
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West Brom’s bid to maintain their Premier League status has led the club to splash out on a new striker, but what can the Baggies hope to get from their £12m record signing Salomon Rondon?
The short answer would be goals. More goals than Brown Ideye would be a start, after the £10m signing from Dynamo Kiev marked his debut Hawthorns campaign with just four in the top flight.
In fact, on the coattails of the news Rondon had joined the club, fresh media reports suggest Tony Pulis is putting Ideye and Victor Anichebe on the transfer market.
With Rickie Lambert also providing another option to Saido Berahino up front, this may not be the worst news for Baggies.
As for 25-year-old Rondon, expectations will rightly be raised in the west Midlands, but the powerful Venezuelan promises much, on paper at least.
A target of several of Europe’s major clubs over the past few years, including Liverpool this summer, the 6ft 3” striker blasted 25 La Liga goals in 67 appearances for Spanish side Malaga before making the move to Russian side Rubin.
Zenit then swooped in January of last year and now Rondon arrives fresh from helping Andre Villas-Boas’ side lift the Russian title.
Only teammate Hulk scored more than his 13 goals in the whole of the Russian top tier, but even more impressively from a West Brom prospective is the Venezuelan’s industrious side.
At the recent Copa America, where Rondon netted one of only two goals for his country, no one player won possession more in the attacking third over the tournament group stages.
Pulis expects a lot of work from his players, so this bodes particularly well for a happy Hawthorns marriage between manager and record signing.
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