Islam Slimani during his loan spell with AS Monaco (Getty Images)
According to Sky Sports (h/t Birmingham Live), Premier League newcomers West Brom are exploring the possibility of signing Algerian international striker Islam Slimani from Leicester City.
As per the report, the Baggies are keen to bring in a new centre-forward before the summer deadline and have held discussions with Leicester over a potential deal for Slimani. However, Slaven Bilic’s side are now looking at other targets after failing to reach an agreement for the transfer of the 32-year-old.
Islam Slimani started his professional career with JSM Cheraga and CR Belouizdad in his native Algeria before completing a move to Europe with Portuguese heavyweights Sporting Lisbon.
An astonishing tally of 57 goals in 109 appearances for Sporting paved the way for a move to Leicester City, who paid a then club-record fee of £30million to sign the towering centre-forward back in the summer of 2016.
Slimani, though, failed to deliver the goods in English football and managed modest returns of 13 goals in 47 games for the Foxes before being shipped out on loan to Newcastle United, Fenerbahce and Monaco.
The Algerian somewhat redeemed himself during his last loan spell at Monaco, where he accumulated 9 goals and 7 assists in 18 Ligue 1 appearances during the prematurely-terminated 2019-20 campaign.
Callum Robinson has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the attack for the Baggies in their first two PL fixtures against Leicester City and Everton, with both games ending in defeat for the Midlands outfit.
The former Sheffield United man failed to make any significant impact in either game and looked like a square peg in a round hole operating as the lone striker up top. Grady Diangana and Matheus Pereira have enjoyed a positive start to the campaign but West Brom surely need a better quality option than Robinson to lead the line in the Premier League.
Slaven Bilic hasn’t shown much faith in the likes of Charlie Austin, Hal Robson-Kanu and Kenneth Zohore – three strikers with PL experience under their belt. This clearly epitomises the need to bring in a new centre-forward before the summer deadline.
Moreover, with Zohore attracting interest from several Championship clubs, Albion are at risk of losing more cover in front of goal before the deadline. Either way, it’s clear that the Baggies need a new striker, but they need to make sure that whoever comes through the door at the Hawthorns presents an upgrade on their existing options.
It’s hard to argue in favour of West Brom’s interest in Islam Slimani for a number of reasons. Firstly, the Algerian hardly captured the imagination in the Premier League earlier in his career. On top of that, he’s already 32 and hardly any younger than Austin and Robson-Kanu.
Slimani has struggled to produce his best since his departure from Sporting Lisbon back in 2016. West Brom might be tempted to play a gamble on him after looking at his prolific returns on loan at Monaco last season but the Algerian’s poor track record in England should be enough to deter the Baggies’ interest.
It goes without saying that West Brom need a quality striker to enhance their hopes of survival in the Premier League but taking a punt on an ageing striker with a lacklustre record in English football would hardly make any sense. Having said that, they should look for young and hungrier options in the market.