Done deal: West Brom confirm last-gasp striker signing as Sunderland & Leeds United miss out
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West Bromwich Albion have succeeded in their efforts to get a last-gasp deal for Southampton striker Adam Armstrong over the line, with the forward agreeing to join the Baggies on loan until the end of the season.
West Brom had faced a nervous wait to find out whether the deal would be rubber stamped by the EFL after the paperwork was submitted at the eleventh hour on Monday evening, but the deal has now been processed, paving the way for Armstrong to reunite with former manager Tony Mowbray.
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Hide AdArmstong played under the new Baggies boss for both Coventry City and Blackburn Rovers, for whom he scored 58 Championship goals between 2017 and 2021. His form at Ewood Park earned him a £15m move to St. Mary’s, but having found goals harder to come by in the Premier League he now returns to the second tier once again in a move that should bolster West Brom’s hopes of securing a play-off spot.
The club has now confirmed Armstrong’s arrival, with a statement welcoming the forward to the Hawthorns released on Tuesday afternoon, with sporting director Adam Nestor saying that Armstrong is “an ideal fit for our squad and very much suits our established style.”
Baggies get boost as they look to bounce back
Deadline day reports had suggested that West Brom were interested in a loan deal for Armstrong alongside fellow Championship promotion contenders Leeds United and Sunderland, but the finances involved in the deal appeared to have presented an insurmountable stumbling block.
That changed in the final hour of the transfer window, when West Brom negotiated a deal for the Newcastle United academy graduate just in time to get EFL approval.
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Hide AdWith West Brom struggling for form of late, having won just one of their last six matches in all competitions, Armstrong’s arrival will be a timely boost to their chances of returning to the top flight for the first time in four years. Armstrong scored twice against West Brom in the play-off semi-finals last year as Southampton eventually earned promotion to the Premier League themselves.
Armstrong could make his debut for the Baggies on Saturday, when Mowbray’s men welcome tenth-placed Sheffield Wednesday to the Midlands. West Brom currently hold the final play-off place but are only above Middlesbrough on goal difference.
Deadline day ends with flurry of deals for West Brom
Armstrong becomes West Brom’s fourth and final signing of the January transfer window, following the arrivals of young Danish striker Tammer Bany, Tottenham Hotspur loanee Will Lankshear and Northern Irish midfielder Isaac Price from Standard Liege.
21-year-old forward Bany, who can also play on the wing or as a number ten, was another deadline day arrival, completing a £3.3m move from Danish Superliga side Randers on Monday. The new recruits should significantly boost the Baggies’ firepower as they face what will likely prove to be a tense and challenging battle for promotion to the Premier League.
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Hide AdWest Brom did suffer a deadline day blow with the announcement that first-choice goalkeeper Alex Palmer has joined Ipswich Town in a permanent deal, but they have recalled Josh Griffiths from a promising loan spell at Bristol Rovers to compete with Joe Wildsmith for the number one jersey.
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