Why West Brom would be wise to complete a move for Connor Goldson
According to Football Insider (h/t Birmingham Live), West Brom are among a host of Championship clubs lining up a move for Rangers defender Connor Goldson.
Championship promotion rivals Leeds United and Fulham have also been linked with a move for the 27-year-old, who has been a key player for Steven Gerrard’s side over the past couple of seasons. (Football Insider h/t Birmingham Live)
The report adds that Baggies boss Slaven Bilic is looking to make some additions to his squad before the January window slams shut and Goldson, who previously played for Brighton in the EFL Championship, has emerged as a potential target for the current pace-setters.
Born in Wolverhampton, Goldson shot to prominence with Shrewsbury Town in the League One and the League Two before earning a move to the Championship with Brighton back in the summer of 2015.
The central defender featured quite regularly in his first season at the club but was a marginalized figure in the following campaign as Chris Hughton’s side won promotion to the Premier League.
Having struggled to cut the teeth in the English top-flight, Goldson completed a switch north of the border to join Rangers in the summer of 2018 following the appointment of Gerrard at Ibrox.
The 27-year-old has established himself as a reliable figure and has already recorded 90 appearances across all competitions, scoring 8 times in the process.
Goldson, who has a contract at Ibrox until 2022, was also instrumental in Rangers’ successful campaign in the group stages of the UEFA Europa League earlier in the campaign that eventually saw them book their seats in the knockout rounds of the competition.
Meanwhile, West Brom continue to be the front runners in the race for automatic promotion in the Championship, albeit with much lesser aplomb, following a winless run of six league games.
The Baggies have looked like a shadow of the team that dominated the opposition with effortless ease in the first half of the campaign and the warning signings were once again on display as Bilic’s side went down 1-0 to Stoke City in the midweek fixture.
Tyrese Campbell scored the solitary goal as West Brom’s defence came under scrutiny. Ahmed Hegazi, who started the game in place of regular first-choice Semi Ajayi, scuffed a clearance, which eventually led to the team’s undoing.
As a matter of fact, the Baggies have now failed to keep a clean sheet in nine consecutive games in the Championship, having last achieved that feat in a 1-0 win against Preston North End in early December.
Furthermore, they have shipped 10 goals in their last 7 league outings, which is something that they need to improve. Semi Ajayi, who came through the door at The Hawthorns from Rotherham United last summer, has formed a real understanding with his central defensive partner, Kyle Bartley.
However, with Hegazi failing to grab his opportunity against Stoke City this week, the Baggies’ lack of quality depth in the heart of the defence was badly exposed.
Now, with fixtures set to come thick and fast during a brutal last few months of the season, West Brom need to sort out their defensive issues. And that is exactly where someone like Connor Goldson perfectly fits the bill.
Verdict
Goldson, who has proven his worth in the Europa League for Rangers, certainly ticks the box as a squad depth option whilst his previous promotion-winning experience with Brighton in the Championship could be handy.
As per whoscored, Goldson has averaged an impressive 6.5 clearances and 4.7 aerial duels in the Europa League this term. Furthermore, a pass success rate of 82% in the Europa League and an average of 2.8 long balls per game does make for good reading.
Goldson’s quality as a central defender has been there for everyone to see, not just in the Scottish league but also in the Europa League.
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Having said that, West Brom completing a move for Connor Goldson before the January deadline could go a long way towards sorting out their ongoing defensive issues.
