West Brom in talks to sign 25-year-old African star – A useful move for Slaven Bilic?

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Sourav Ghosh

Why West Brom signing Habib Diallo would be a useful move for Bilic

According to The Sun (h/t Birmingham Mail), West Brom are said to be in talks with FC Metz over the prospect of signing Habib Diallo. Baggies manager Slaven Bilic is keen to add another forward before the close of the transfer window.

Profile

Habib Diallo is a 25-year-old Senegalese forward who plays for French club Metz. He started his career at Generation Foot but moved to Metz’s youth side in 2013. After two seasons, he was promoted to the first-team.

A season later, he was loaned out to Stade Brest 29 for one-and-a-half seasons. He played a total of 50 games for the side and contributed to 22 goals (16G + 6A). On his return, he was slotted into the Metz team.

Habib Diallo in action for Metz (Image Credits: Google)
Habib Diallo in action for Metz (Image Credits: Google)

Since then, he has had a very prolific spell for the club. In 115 appearances, he scored 48 goals and assisted 15 more (source – Transfermarkt). Diallo has also played 4 times for the Senegal national team scoring once.

Would he be a useful signing?

West Brom do need an out-and-out striker. Their forward department consists of Charlie Austin, Hal Robson-Kanu and Kenneth Zohore. Now, Austin and Robson-Kanu are 31 years old. Kenneth Zohore is out for an unknown period of time.

While new signings Grady Diangana and Matheus Pereira have impressed in the opening weeks, they need to get a long-term solution to their striker problem. Diallo has racked up over 150 games in France and is an experienced player.

Habib Diallo (R) in action against Saint Etienne in Ligue 1 (Getty Images)
Habib Diallo (R) in action against Saint Etienne in Ligue 1 (Getty Images)

Diallo is 6ft 1in tall and will aid the likes of wide players Pereira and Diangana. They can put crosses into Diallo to create goalscoring opportunities. At 25, Diallo is at a good age for West Brom to look into. He is entering his prime years and will likely get better in the coming seasons.

Verdict

While Diallo may not look like an attractive signing on paper, he is an effective one. He has been very prolific over the last couple of seasons for Metz and helped them gain promotion to Ligue 1.

Diallo is a feasible solution for West Brom’s striker problems. With time running out and just days left in the transfer window, the Baggies should try to wrap up a deal for Diallo soon.