Transfer Story
According to a recent report by the Express & Star, West Bromwich Albion are keen on signing Chelsea’s young gun Ola Aina on loan. Apart from Albion, their fellow Championship side and promotion aspirants Derby County are also pursuing the 21-year-old. Therefore, it will be interesting to see which club has the last laugh.
Ola Aina – Fact File & Attributes
Aina has been on Chelsea’s books since 2007. He made his debut for the senior side under the tutelage of Antonio Conte in the EFL Cup against Bristol Rovers in August 2016.
The lack of opportunities at Chelsea, however, led to his loan move to Hull City last term and he impressed during his spell at the KCOM Stadium. He mustered 44 appearances for the Tigers and managed to notch 3 assists.
Aina managed good defensive numbers; he made 2.3 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2.8 clearances and 0.2 blocks per game on an average. His commendable displays during the previous campaign were well documented and no wonder he is on the Baggies’ radar. He is unlikely to get much time on the pitch if he stays at Stamford Bridge this season and another loan spell will make a lot of sense.
Versatility is one of Aina’s strongest suits, for he is capable of plying his trade competently across the backline. But he is most comfortable as a fullback. He has a penchant to gallop forward and ping in accurate crosses into the box. He is a clever reader of the game and tracks back timely to make defensive contributions.
Why do West Bromwich Albion Need Him?
Darren Moore is looking to assemble a squad strong enough to push for promotion and has already bought some quality players like Sam Johnstone, Kyle Bartley and Conor Townsend to the Hawthorns. However, the right-back slot is lacking in depth.
Moore has been desperate to get hold of a right-back all summer but a £400,000 deal for Yeovil Town’s Tom James failed to materialise after the player failed a medical. Further, the Throstles have loaned out 18-year-old Kane Wilson to Walsall for the season.
Allan Nyom is the first-choice right-back for Moore but he lacks competition which someone like Aina will provide in abundance. And with the Baggies getting off to a losing start, Moore will surely increase his urgency in the last week of the window.
