"A pointless signing" - West Brom decision to sign 33-goal striker questioned | OneFootball

FLW's West Brom fan pundit has given his verdict on Devante Cole's struggles this season

Devante Cole has struggled for game time since joining West Brom in the summer.

The forward arrived as a free agent following his departure from Barnsley, spending three seasons with the Tykes.

The 29-year-old bagged 33 goals in his two final campaigns at Oakwell, with the club narrowly missing out on promotion to the Championship both times (all stats from Fbref).

Cole has played in just one of West Brom’s opening 11 league fixtures, coming off the bench against QPR in the opening game of the campaign.

But, despite being fit, he has not even been included in the matchday squad on multiple occasions, raising questions over the decision to sign him to the Baggies in the summer.

Devante Cole transfer verdict

When asked whether the signing of Cole was pointless, FLW’s West Brom fan pundit Callum Burgess suggested his doubts over the move in the summer were correct.

He believes it has been a pointless transfer so far, claiming he’s become fourth-choice striker, and that he will struggle even more for game time when Daryl Dike returns to fitness.

“When Devante Cole was signed in the summer I did raise a few doubts over whether he would be able to make the step up,” Burgess told Football League World.

“In his career, he’s not really had much success in the Championship.

“He did score a decent amount of goals actually for Barnsley in the last two seasons, but that seemed like a major outlier in his career.

“And a few Albion fans have been getting frustrated when there might not be that many striker options on the bench, when Albion’s having to take off Josh Maja when starts to get exhausted after playing so much game time.

“I think, while some fans may be using that as a stick to beat Carlos Corberan with, where you can go ‘why have you not left him on the bench?’ But obviously, he’s the one watching him in training every week.

“While in press conferences he has spoken about having some sympathy for Devante Cole not making the matchday squad, it’s obviously up to him whether or not he deems him to be able to make an impact in the squad.

“So far he’s barely made the bench, let alone make any substitute appearances, so I think it has been a bit of a pointless signing.

“He’s ended up being fourth-choice striker in a squad that only really has one out-and-out striker option in Josh Maja while Daryl Dike continues his recovery.

“Should Dike be able to get match fit again, then you’re really struggling to see where any sort of game time would come for Devante Cole soon.”

West Brom’s forward options

Josh Maja has been West Brom’s first-choice forward option so far this season, and has been key to their bright start.

The 25-year-old has bagged seven goals from 11 appearances in the Championship, the second most of any player in the entire division.

Jed Wallace has also played up front at times this campaign, although usually off the bench, with Dike awaiting his return to full fitness after a lengthy absence due to injury.

West Brom currently sit fourth in the second division table, six points behind leaders Sunderland.

Devante Cole signing hasn’t worked for West Brom

The signing of Cole hasn’t worked out for the club, but it’s not the most damaging signing they could’ve made.

The forward was a free agent signing, meaning he hasn’t eaten up too much of Albion’s available resources.

Obviously, Corberan would rather the player made a stronger impact by now, especially with Dike still unavailable.