Daniel Sturridge‘s eternal search for full-time first-team minutes has, at long last, come to an end, with the Liverpool and England striker heading to West Bromwich Albion on loan through the end of the season.
[ MORE: Monday’s transfer rumor roundup | Sunday | Friday ]
Sturridge has made just nine Premier League appearances this season (five as a starter) after making 20 (seven as a starter) a year ago. With West Brom presently sitting 19th in the PL table — three points from safety — Sturridge’s ability to score 8-10 goals over the final 14 games of the season could very well be the difference between relegation and staying up.
PST’s Joe Prince-Wright offered the following analysis of how Sturridge will fit at West Brom, and the thinking behind making this move:
He needs game time if he’s going to have any chance of getting in the England squad for the 2018 World Cup this summer and although Jay Rodriguez scored twice against Liverpool in West Brom’s shock FA Cup win at Anfield at the weekend, his talents are better used out wide. West Brom certainly create better chances for their forwards than Newcastle and you can argue that the Baggies have more momentum than the struggling Magpies at a crucial part of the season.
Pardew’s other attacking options at West Brom are far from prolific with Salomon Rondon and Hal Robson-Kanu mustering just five PL goals between them this season despite their hard-working displays. Sturridge would add an extra cutting edge to the Baggies attack and if he stays fit he will give them a massive boost in their battle against relegation from the Premier League.
West Brom also announced on Monday the signing of Egyptian international defender Ali Gabr, a 29-year-old center back who’ll likely be in the Pharaoh’s 23-man squad at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Elsewhere in the PL, 10th-place Watford (six points separate them from 7th- and 8th-place Leicester City and Burnley, respectively) have made an attacking loan signing of their own: Barcelona (and former Everton, AC Milan, Sevilla and Barcelona, again) winger Gerard Deulofeu.
Following a(nother) unsuccessful spell at his club of development, Deulofeu has again been deemed surplus to requirements and sent on loan to the PL, where he 52 league appearances across two different spells at Everton, where he scored five goals (8 goals in 75 appearances in all competitions).
