JOIE - 19 STEPHANE BAHOKEN SCO FOOTBALL : Angers vs Reims - Ligue 1 Uber Eats - 13/09/2020 FEP/Panoramic PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxITAxBEL
According to Birmingham Live, West Brom have been offered the chance to sign Stephane Bahoken from Angers. The striker’s agent is said to have held talks with Baggies manager Sam Allardyce over a possible January transfer. A loan to buy deal is being talked about. Allardyce is still keen to add some more players as he aims to steer the side out of relegation.
Stephane Bahoken is a 28-year-old Cameroonian forward who plays for French side SCO Angers. A youth product of OGC Nice, he spent time at RC Grasse before joining Nice’s academy in 2004. He spent the next 7 years in development in the youth side.
In 2011, he was promoted to the ‘B’ side but within a year, he was pushed up to the senior side. However, he played just one season for Nice before moving to St. Mirren on loan. On his return, he signed for Strasbourg in 2014.
Nonetheless, his most prolific spell would come at Angers. In 74 appearances for them, he has scored 23 goals and assisted 5 more (h/t Transfermarkt). Bahoken played for France in the youth levels but chose to play for Cameroon at the senior level.
West Brom aren’t enjoying the best of times on their return to the top-flight as they sit in the relegation places. They were the first side in the league this season to sack their manager, Slaven Bilic, and appoint Sam Allardyce. Their attack and defence have let them down this season.
Charlie Austin returned to QPR this month leaving Sam Allardyce a bit short on options. With Karlan Grant also injured, it leaves ‘Big Sam’ in another spot of bother. Adding another striker might just be a huge requirement at this point.
Bahoken has certainly made a big impact in Ligue 1 this season and the club have every reason to believe that the Cameroonian international can replicate that sort of form in English football.
The Cameroonian has come up with decent returns playing for some mid-table clubs in Ligue 1, which should convince West Brom to sign him as a replacement for Austin.
While Bahoken may have a tendency to go through patches of bad for, he could still be a handy player for West Brom. Given that talks have happened between the club and his agent, the deal could have a good chance of going through. All in all, Bahoken looks like a decent striker for West Brom to go after.