Max Watters is a target for West Brom (Getty Images)
According to the Daily Mail, Premier League strugglers West Brom are keeping tabs on in-form Crawley Town striker Max Watters. The 21-year-old is also on the radars of Watford, while clubs from League One and Belgium have also shown an interest in the striker.
Born in London, Watters started out his footballing career at non-league club Ashford United, before joining Doncaster Rovers in 2018. During his time at the club, the striker had loan spells away at Grantham Town, Gainsborough Trinity and Mickleover.
Having made just six appearances for Doncaster, the 21-year-old joined Crawley Town on a permanent transfer earlier this year. Since moving to the League Two outfit, the striker has flourished, racking up 12 goals in 14 matches across all competitions so far. (h/t Transfermarkt)
West Bromwich Albion have endured a torrid time upon returning to the Premier League from the EFL Championship this season.
No team has let in more goals than the Baggies, while only Burnley have scored fewer goals than them so far this season (5) (at the time of writing).
So, it is clear that Bilic & co. must strengthen their roster at both ends of the pitch in the January transfer window if they are to survive the threat of relegation and maintain their Premier League status.
As iterated earlier, goals, or lack thereof, has been a major problem for West Brom. The Baggies did strengthen the attacking unit with the signings of Callum Robinson and Karlan Grant, but have managed meagre numbers so far. (h/t Transfermarkt)
The other two centre-forwards in the squad, Hal Robson-Kanu and Charlie Austin, are yet to score a single goal. Thus, signing a new striker in January becomes of paramount importance for West Brom.
And while Watters might not be the most experienced forwards out there, the youngster can be a wildcard option for the Baggies, given his exceptional current form.
The 21-year-old, based on recent performances, would represent an upgrade in terms of goalscoring output over the current options at the manager’s disposal. Considering his age, the striker has room to develop and would be a long-term investment for the Baggies.
West Brom desperately need a goalscorer in their midst if they are to survive the drop. And with finances tight, dipping into the lower leagues for someone like Watters might end up proving to be shrewd move. The 21-year-old has been in fine form and is one worth taking a punt on.