West Brom should turn to Arsenal for a genuine difference-maker after Josh Maja hammer blow | OneFootball

With West Brom's high-flying goal-scorer sidelined indefinitely, the club should seek out a premier prospect who could fill the Super Eagles shoes.

After the heartbreak of Carlos Corberan's departure to Valencia, the New Year blues have struck the West Brom squad once again, handing a hammer blow to the Baggies with the announcement that high-flyer Josh Maja will be undergoing surgery.

With the latest twist in the West Brom managerial merry-go-round extending the search for the Spaniard's successor, Shilen Patel and Andrew Nestor have been issued another crisis to address, with the indefinite sidelining of Maja.

The club site announced that the Nigerian frontman would be undergoing surgery for a lower leg injury, but offered no timescale of a recovery period, stating that the sidelined spell could last "many weeks". However, Express and Star journalist, Lewis Cox, has revealed the club hope to see the striker return in the spring.

The Super Eagle striker has been the Baggies' shining light in the first half of this second-tier season, scoring 12 goals and providing two assists in 26 matches. But even more so than his goal contribution, the build-up play and IQ of the frontman has made him intrinsic to West Brom's creation of attacks and is near impossible to replace.

Maja has become a mainstay within the West Brom starting side, starting every single one of his 26 appearances thus far, a feat all the more impressive considering Maja only managed 12 appearances for the Albion last season, before being sidelined through injury.

His impressive exploits have unsurprisingly earned him top-flight interest this winter, with reports of Chelsea and Spurs scouting the Super Eagle, and many Baggies were resigned to the possibility of the Nigerian leaving the club imminently.

Key concerns from the fanbase surrounding the Baggies' readiness for the Championship's resumption have only intensified with the news, as Albion already suffered from a lack of depth in the forward area.

Summer signing Devante Cole has been deployed purely within a cameo capacity, playing just 109 minutes in 10 appearances, and Daryl Dike's recovery timeline still remains too tenuous to be counted on.

Despite the versatility of Maja's game being nearly impossible to replace on a budget, Albion have been left with no choice but to dive into the winter market for a replacement. But they may find one outside the second-tier and would do well to look at a top flight for a prospect ready to make a mark on the senior stage.

Albion should look to Arsenal attacker

West Brom have already dipped into the loan market once this season with the unsuccessful spell of Lewis Dobbin from Aston Villa, which was concluded prematurely and has left Albion light with reinforcements.

But where Dobbin left lots to be desired in terms of clinical calibre, Arsenal's Nathan Butler-Oyedeji has enjoyed a scintillating start to his time in the U21 ranks and appears a premier prospect who has the capability of filling the big shoes the Super Eagle has left.

Although the difference in the standard of opposition must be noted, Butler-Oyedeji is unique in simultaneously possessing both the creativity and clinical prowess of Maja, something which has the potential to be devastating in the second tier.

The Gunner is a natural goalscorer, ranked as the joint second-top goalscorer in the PL2 ranks and joint-top for assists in the division, but is also a powerful and fast runner, something the Albion squad currently do not possess enough of to hurt teams on the counter-attack.

His fine form also saw him awarded the PL2 Player of the Month award for August and earned him another nomination in November.

The 22-year-old could prove key to supporting the squad in Maja's absence, providing he could quickly adjust to the pace of the second-tier and the Baggies system, being one of the only standout options that displays both the goalscoring prowess and creativity of the Nigerian frontman.

Butler-Oyedeji should be a straightforward acquisition with Arsenal faltering in the FA Cup

Despite a disappointing loan spell last season failing to find the goal in 14 appearances for League One side Cheltenham Town, the 22-year-old's fast start upon his return to The Emirates in the PL2 division, coincided with interest from Borussia Mönchengladbach in October, with Football Insider reporting that the German giants were interested in signing the striker.

However, with no reported bid ever lodged, Butler-Oyedeji remains a Gunner but is yet to register a single senior minute for the North London side, despite being named on the bench for Arsenal's FA Cup exit versus Manchester United over the weekend.

Arsenal's failure to qualify for the next round of the domestic tournament also likely prevents the forward from seeing any action in Arsenal's senior squad this term, with just the Premier League and Champions League remaining in the North London club's calendar beyond potentially one more League Cup game, both tournaments Butler-Oyedeji is unlikely to feature in and opening the door for a potential loan.

With the 22-year-old still yet to score his maiden senior goal, it remains unknown whether Butler-Oyedeji would be able to replicate his fine form with the gulf in class in the second-tier, but the young Gunner seems to possess every attribute that could prove pivotal in Albion's play-off push and again make them a side to fear in the second tier.

Above all, West Brom will have to act fast to find a replacement for their sidelined striker, with promotion rivals Blackburn Rovers, Watford, Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday, lingering within three points behind.

Albion cannot afford any slip-ups as every match approaching the business end of the season becomes crucial, and must make an attacking addition as quickly as possible in the wake of Maja's sideline spell.