Why West Bromwich Albion must sign Wes Hoolahan

As per a report from Eastern Daily Press, Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion have taken in veteran midfielder Wes Hoolahan on trial, with a view of signing him.

The 36-year-old is a free agent, after leaving Norwich City at the end of last season. And the Baggies manager Darren Moore is keen on adding him to the squad in the coming days. (h/t Eastern Daily Press)

Having been relegated to the second division, West Brom have had a decent start to the new season. With three wins and a draw in six games, they find themselves sitting 9th in the table.

The Midlands outfit are well-stocked in the midfield department, with a number of experienced campaigners like Gareth Barry, Chris Brunt, Jake Livermore, James Morrison. They also have the young Sam Field, Rekeem Harper and on-loan midfielder Harvey Barnes.

However, manager Moore intent on adding another creative-minded central midfielder to his ranks. (h/t Eastern Daily Press) West Brom had made an attempt to sign Blackburn Rovers’ attacking midfielder Bradley Dack on the transfer deadline day last month, with a £15 million offer but it got rejected. (h/t The Sun)

And with the transfer window and the loan window shut, signing Hoolahan for free could be a viable option.

The former Republic of Ireland international spent a major part of his senior career at Norwich City, joining the Canaries from Blackpool in 2008. During his ten-year stint with the club, the midfielder made 351 appearances, bagging 54 goals and setting up 78 more.

Hoolahan featured 34 times in the 2017/18 campaign across all competitions and went on to score two goals and set up four more for Daniel Farke’s side.

A diminutive playmaker, the Irishman has a number of tricks to make the team tick in the final third. A good passer of the ball, Hoolahan has the vision and the creativity to open up defences and create chances for his teammates with accurate through balls.

Add to that his accurate set-piece delivery and the former Norwich City man would be a decent option for the Baggies, despite his age. The fact that he was directly involved in 18 goals in 33 games in the 2016/17 season (7 goals, 11 assists), highlights his ability to contribute more.

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A seasoned campaigner at this level, the 36-year-old has made over 200 appearances in the Championship. Having played an integral part in Norwich’s promotion bid to the Premier League twice (2010/11 and 2014/15), the midfielder has the experience and know-how to aid the Baggies’ chances of making an immediate return to the top-flight.