David Button
According to The Telegraph (h/t Birmingham Mail), Premier League newcomers West Brom are interested in signing goalkeeper David Button from Brighton and Hove Albion to bolster their goalkeeping options heading into the upcoming campaign.
As per the report, the Baggies are on the verge of securing a £1million deal for the 31-year-old, with manager Slaven Bilic keen to provide No.1 Sam Johnstone with some cover and competition.
West Brom had been linked with Ivo Grbic earlier in the summer following their promotion to the PL, but have now shifted their focus to Button after losing out to Atletico Madrid in the race to sign the Croatian shot-stopper. (h/t Birmingham Mail)
Born in Stevenage, David Button rose through the ranks of Tottenham but he made only a solitary first-team appearance for the North London outfit.
The 31-year-old spent time on loan at 11 different clubs across the four professional divisions in English football. He then joined Charlton Athletic in a permanent deal back in 2012. Button proved his worth as a quality shot-stopper in the Championship on loan at Fulham and Brentford before earning a move to the Premier League with Brighton in the summer of 2018.
The former England U-20 international has been restricted to just 11 appearances for the Seagulls over the past couple of campaigns. He has largely featured as the understudy to Australian international Matt Ryan.
Sam Johnstone excelled as West Brom’s undisputed No.1 between the sticks in each of their last two seasons in the Championship. The 27-year-old managed 10 clean sheets in 48 appearances during the 2018-19 campaign as the Baggies suffered a playoff heartbreak. He then followed it up with 14 shut-outs in 46 outings last term to guide the club to automatic promotion.
Jonathan Bond featured as the understudy to Johnstone in the second tier last term but the 27-year-old’s contract at the Hawthorns has expired. Alex Palmer is another option but the academy graduate lacks any significant experience in the Championship. So it would be a massive risk for the Baggies to rely on him in the Premier League.
Even if Johnstone is ready to make the step up to the Premier League, West Brom still need to bring in a reliable backup. David Button has only played 4 Premier League games for Brighton but has looked comfortable whenever he has been afforded first-team minutes.
Moreover, the veteran has a lot of Championship experience under his belt. Considering that he has spent the last couple of seasons in the top-flight, West Brom have every right to look at him as someone who could challenge Johnstone for the No.1 role.
A fee of £1m is a very small gamble that a Premier League club can afford to take. Considering that this fee brings in a good back-up goalkeeper, it is important that West Brom complete this deal quickly.