Man City disaster may be on West Brom minds as Tony Mowbray looks to strengthen in January | OneFootball

As Albion dive into the winter window for attacking reinforcements, Tony Mowbray would do well to remember disaster loan spell.

With West Brom looking to reinforce their striking options in the winter window, the club and Tony Mowbray would do well to look at a disaster loan deal that nearly cost Albion their place in the Premier League as the Baggies search for a replacement for Josh Maja.

The summer of 2013 was one of the most anticipated periods in modern memory for West Brom.

Baggies were still bouncing from their astonishing eighth-place finish in 2012/13, a feat that still holds the record as Albion's highest-ever finish in the Premier League era, but there was apprehension about where the goals would come from, given the return of star striker Romelu Lukaku to parent-club Everton.

The club secured the services of Nicolas Anelka, but as the window approached its end, Albion's summer signing wrestled with his future in football after the tragic loss of his agent.

With West Brom unsure if the Frenchman would play any part in their season, the side quickly scrambled for a striking replacement and managed to secure the services of a player that gave fans hope they could immediately better their previous finish, an addition of class and calibre from the very pinnacle of the top-flight.

That signing was Scott Sinclair.

Sinclair joined on a temporary term from Premier League powerhouse Manchester City, in a package that included both a £2m loan fee and an option to buy the former Swansea winger, which was an option Baggies fully intended to activate.

Although some had reservations about Sinclair's struggles to adapt away from the second tier, beloved Baggies boss, Steve Clarke, held little reservations at the attacking acquisition after seeing Sinclair develop at Chelsea and was the one spearheading the signing.

He told WBA: “He is the type of player we were missing from the squad. He is a pure winger, who is quick, direct and scores goals – he has proven that over his career.

“He can play off the right or left and improves our attacking options. I know him well and he is a good person, who I know is 100 percent committed to our cause. He is frustrated he did not get the chances to play at Man City last season and hopefully he will take those frustrations out on Premier League defenders this season.”

A player with Premier League promise who Clarke was confident he could unlock

Although Sinclair's torrid time with Manchester City had proved the player was not quite ready for the pinnacle of the Premier League, the forward's firing form as a Swan suggested that West Brom may have been a finer fit for the forward to replicate his earlier exploits.

Sinclair's staggering 22-goal season was followed up by a substantial drop as the forward transitioned into the top-flight and earned his £8m move to the English Champions, but Clarke was confident he could pry that promise out of the fast-forward.

His debut in a blue and white shirt quickly came against former club Swansea, who visited The Hawthorns on matchday three, but Sinclair failed to have any impact against his old club and the Swans snatched a 2-0 result away from home.

Nevertheless, despite his sides' slow start, Clarke continued to trust the Chelsea man, starting Sinclair in two of Baggies' next three matches, including both a 3-0 victory at home to Sunderland and a 1-2 away win at Old Trafford.

But the Baggies couldn't celebrate such a staggering away win for too long as, after being substituted in the 13th minute against the Red Devils, it was announced Sinclair would be sidelined for over 70 days after sustaining a hamstring injury.

As Sinclair was reduced to a spectator, the sides' form began to drop and pressure quickly rose on the Scotsman in The Hawthorn's hot seat.

Sinclair's struggles persisted as his Hawthorns stay continued

Sinclair's return could not have come at a more crucial point for Clarke.

With West Brom on a three-game loss streak, the Black Country outfit would visit Cardiff City in a crucial clash on the 14th of December, a match Sinclair was named among the substitutes for.

The Bluebirds landed their blow in the 65th minute, and with Clarke staring down the barrel of a fourth successive defeat, Sinclair was brought on in the 74th minute in an attempt to save his boss' seat, a feat he failed to do as Cardiff captured a 1-0 victory.

The Scotsman was sacked only hours after the game.

As the search for the Scotsman's successor began, interim coach Keith Downing was appointed to oversee first-team affairs and immediately returned Sinclair to his starting place the very next match, a match Baggies were bewildered to believe would be Sinclair's final start in a West Brom shirt after he was hooked at half-time.

The polarising Pepe Mel was the man eventually appointed to stabilise the West Brom ship, especially as the club flirted around the division's danger zone. However, the Spaniard saw no place for Sinclair in his plans to keep the club afloat and the Englishman was reduced to purely a cameo capacity, featuring just twice from the 21st of December to the season's close in May.

Lessons can be learned as Mowbray scouts a substitute striker

West Brom would retain their place in the English top-flight, surviving by the skin of their teeth just three points and a place above the division's danger zone, but Sinclair struggled to leave a lasting impression on anyone involved in the West Brom camp and, as a result, failed to convince the club to turn his temporary term into a permanent move.

The former Swan played just eight Premier League matches during his time in the blue and white stripes, and unsurprisingly, with such a lack of match action, failed to register a single goal or assist throughout that time.

As Tony Mowbray seeks to source a suitable striking option in the winter window, he would do well to learn from the struggles of Sinclair, particularly the injury troubles that plagued the early spell of the Englishman's season and stalled any momentum from being built.

With Albion already suffering from a lack of available attacking options, the club cannot risk a repeat of this struggle with another striker joining Josh Maja and Daryl Dike in the Albion medical room.

The club cannot afford a misstep. After sliding out of the top six, any addition will be vital for Mowbray in his pursuit of restoring West Brom's play-off place and Albion are unable to afford anyone to have a slow start.