Tony Mowbray would have been overjoyed by what he saw during his second game back in charge of West Bromwich Albion as the Baggies tore Portsmouth to shreds.
Indeed, his new side would end up beating John Mousinho’s men by five goals to one, with the emphatic nature of the scoreline made to look even more impressive by the fact West Brom’s main striker Josh Maja is sidelined through injury.
Although Mowbray would have been pleased by his side’s attacking intent without the ex-Sunderland man present, he will still be looking for some fresh blood in the striker department this transfer window as this new target begins to be linked with the Championship side.
West Brom interested in loan deal for PL ace
As per club insider DOOD, West Brom are now interested in securing a loan deal for Chelsea starlet Marc Guiu before next week’s deadline, having already lodged an enquiry in recent days.
The report further elaborates that other clubs are in the mix for the promising Spanish hotshot, with the ex-Barcelona attacker in need of some more game time away from being a reserve member of Enzo Maresca’s squad at Stamford Bridge.
This would see West Brom delve into the market again for some more up-and-coming gems, having already forked out £2.5m to win former Everton youth player Isaac Price.
Why Guiu could be the next Lukaku
The Baggies could well look to turn back time with this deal too, with the promotion hopefuls once gaining another promising Blues attacker like they managed with Romelu Lukaku back in 2012, as the loan switch in question then catapulted the imposing Belgian into the spotlight.
Guiu will hope the same can happen here as the 19-year-old has been tipped for greatness in the past, with signs of that promise coming to the forefront in spurts when playing in the first team ranks in West London.
So far this season, when gifted chances in the senior mix by Maresca, Guiu has delivered the goods with an impressive six strikes tallied up from 12 games, with all of those strikes coming in the UEFA Conference League.
Now, the former Barcelona man – who was labelled as “exquisite” by former Chelsea great Joe Cole earlier this campaign – will hope he can show off his class in a more testing environment such as the Championship to begin to really earn his stripes like Lukaku did.
After all, before his formative loan spell to the West Midlands came to be, Lukaku hadn’t quite transformed yet into the clinical attacker he’s known as today, with eight appearances in the Chelsea men’s set-up passing him by.
However, the switch to the Baggies helped the Belgian gain his confidence in the men’s game with a blistering 17 strikes coming his way from 38 total games, before then going to star at the likes of Everton, Manchester United and Inter Milan.
Guiu will hope his time at the Hawthorns can be as impactful if a move gets off the ground, having already bagged two goals in the Barca main team before Chelsea swooped in to further prove his raw ability to finish off chances under pressure.
Playing alongside the likes of Karlan Grant and other attackers at West Brom will no doubt be helpful for the 19-year-old’s development too, as Mowbray goes about leaving his mark on his new side in their ongoing quest to win promotion.
Mowbray has found his next Jobe Bellingham in "outstanding" West Brom ace
Tony Mowbray will enjoy working with this youngster at West Bromwich Albion.
ByKelan SarsonJan 28, 2025
