West Bromwich Albion finished 10th in the Premier League table last season with 45 points and it goes without saying that they will target a higher finish in the table this season. They have started their new season in a riveting manner, having bagged a 1-0 win at Hawthorns against Bournemouth and a 0-1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor in their first two league outings to pick up the full points in the offing in the first couple of weeks.
Tony Pulis has been a shrewd manager in plucking some underrated players this summer in order to shape his side for better, with Jay Rodriguez, Gareth Barry, Ahmed Hegazi and Yuning Zhang joining the Baggies.
Another one of the players who interested Pulis in the ongoing transfer window was RB Leipzig’s Oliver Burke and earlier today, Burke signed a five-year contract with West Bromwich Albion for a fee which is believed to be around £15million.
Is Burke a good signing?
Burke’s signing is a significant one, for he is indeed a player of notable reputation and calibre. The Scottish international emerged through the youth ranks of Mowbray Rangers and Nottingham Forest and was eventually promoted to the senior side of the latter.
RB Leipzig signed him signed him last summer and he went on to make 25 appearances for the German Bundesliga outfit last season and helped them to earn a second-place finish in the German top division.
The fee might be a bit on the higher side, but lest we forget, Leipzig paid a lot for him as well, and they are a side who invest in younger players. He is a really strong player physically and muscles past opposition defenders with relative ease.
He will add more pace to West Brom’s attack and his impressive balance while controlling the ball makes him an appealing commodity to be possessed by any top quality side.
Predominantly a right-winger, Burke is capable enough to ply his trade on the left-wing as well as a striker and his versatility should come handy for Pulis. He comes into his own in one v one situations and his pace will no doubt put a bit of fear in the opposing defenders.
He isn’t an all-attack-minded player, though. He contributes defensively as well and has thus carved a name for himself in the good books of the football fraternity. Although his passing and decisiveness need to be worked on, Pulis should be able to navigate him properly, brush his rough edges and derive the best out of him in the coming months.
