Why West Brom should avoid taking a gamble on Josh Windass

According to the Daily Record, West Brom are currently in talks with Sheffield Wednesday over a potential deal for forward Josh Windass in the January transfer window. 

As per the report, new Baggies boss Sam Allardyce is weighing up some shrewd cost-effective additions to his squad during the mid-season trading period. And Windass could be available for as little as £400,000. Watford and Bournemouth are also believed to be in negotiations with the 26-year-old but the player would jump at the chance to join a top-flight club. 

Profile

Windass started his professional career at Accrington Stanley in League Two after completing his footballing education at Huddersfield Town. The Yorkshire-born attacker shot to prominence with a 17-goal haul during the 2015-16 campaign, which was enough to earn him a move north of the border to Scottish giants Rangers.

The versatile attacking midfielder went on to enjoy a couple of decent seasons at Ibrox, registering 19 goals and 13 assists in 73 appearances. Windass returned to England with Wigan Athletic, where he managed only 9 goals in 56 appearances for the Latics over two seasons. 

Windass joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan in January 2020 and eventually completed a permanent transfer to Hillsborough this past summer following Wigan’s relegation to League One. However, the 26-year-old hasn’t really made a big impression for the Owls so far, scoring only thrice in 20 appearances in the Championship this term.

West Brom need impact additions in January, and Windass doesn’t fit the bill

Meanwhile, West Brom currently find themselves languishing in the bottom half of the standings. Despite a couple of impressive 1-1 draws against Man City and Liverpool in recent weeks, the Baggies are still very much locked in a relegation dogfight. The Midlands outfit sit 19th following a dismal start to the campaign that has seen them register only a solitary win from 17 games. 

With only 11 goals scored so far, it’s a no-brainer that Sam Allardyce needs to play his cards in the January window to add more creativity and firepower to his misfiring attack. Having said that, however, Josh Windass isn’t the sort of player they should be looking at to turn their fortunes around in the top-flight. 

Granted, Windass would represent good value for money in the market, considering the ongoing ramifications of the pandemic. That he’s capable of playing as a striker and in a No.10 role would also make him a decent squad option at The Hawthorns. However, he hardly fits the bill as an upgrade on West Brom’s current attacking options. 

The 26-year-old hasn’t really proven himself in the Championship – he is yet to hit double figures in the goals or assists column – meaning the Baggies should look at better options. West Brom need some impact signings in January to help them in their bid for survival and Windass might not be ready to make the step-up to the top-flight just yet.

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Verdict

Truth be told, West Brom signing Josh Windass in January would be a clear indication that they are already planning for life back in the Championship. That’s certainly not what the fans would like to see and such a stance hardly strikes the right chords for any club. There are certainly better options available and the Baggies would dodge a bullet by dropping their interest in the struggling Owls star.