Lukaku 2.0 included: 3 strikers West Brom could sign to replace Armstrong

The wheels came off West Bromwich Albion’s 2024/25 campaign alarmingly quickly.

It all started when Carlos Corberan left the building at the end of December, leaving the Baggies with the extremely tough task of replacing the Spaniard mid-way through what they hoped would be a promotion-winning season in the Championship.

Unfortunately, Tony Mowbray came in and depressingly faltered instead, with the 61-year-old subsequently relieved of his duties as his side fell out of the playoff picture.

It can’t all be blamed on the seasoned EFL manager, however.

The likes of Adam Armstrong also struggled in a league he usually shines in, as seen in the Southampton loanee only firing home a limp three strikes from 16 games after a late January swoop.

Therefore, this might make the Baggies think twice about going after Armstrong permanently now his loan deal has expired, with these three strikers perhaps on the West Brom shopping list instead to try and bolster their firepower.

1

Marc Guiu

West Brom could boldly go down the route of exploring the loan market once more with Chelsea hotshot Marc Guiu, irrespective of Armstrong’s poor stint at the Hawthorns.

After all, the Baggies have succeeded in the past when gifting an up-and-coming starlet chances away from Stamford Bridge, with Romelu Lukaku once just a wide-eyed attacker like Guiu before exploding into life in the West Midlands.

Guiu would hope to follow in the deadly Belgian’s footsteps if he is picked up by the promotion-aspiring Baggies this summer, having previously reportedly been on their radar around the time of Armstrong’s move.

The promising 19-year-old managed to bag six goals for Enzo Maresca’s men last season despite limited first-team action, meaning more game-time to come down a division could get even more out of the raw Spaniard.

2

Willem Geubbels

West Brom could be up against it in attempting to land the services of St. Gallen star Willem Geubbels, considering he is being linked with a £4.6m move to Premier League-bound Leeds United.

But, never say never over the Swiss attacker wanting more game-time by relocating to the Hawthorns instead, having been a long-term target on the Baggies’ agenda.

His goalscoring expertise in the Swiss Super League has even resulted in football talent scout Jacek Kulig heralding Geubbels as an “absolute top talent” and for many a valid reason too, considering the 23-year-old has hammered home an impressive 17 strikes this season from 41 overall clashes.

Therefore, the in-demand Frenchman could push a returning Josh Maja for a starting spot next campaign if he were to move to England, away from also allowing West Brom to immediately forget about Armstrong’s frustrating spell.

3

Ali Al-Hamadi

Lastly, away from thinking outside the box by shopping in Europe or snapping up a rising top-flight star, West Brom could go after a centre-forward talent full to the brim with EFL experience in Ali Al-Hamadi.

The Iraq international didn’t set the world alight out on loan with Stoke City this season just gone when registering only two weak goals from 15 games, but he has proven in the past for parent side Ipswich Town in the Championship that he’s a reliable option to call upon when the deadlock needs to be broken.

Staggeringly, despite only starting one league game for Kieran McKenna’s men during their promotion-winning campaign, the former AFC Wimbledon man would still fire home a blistering four strikes, leaving him with a devastatingly effective scoring frequency of every 72 minutes.

It would all just depend on whether the Tractor Boys would want to keep the dangerous 23-year-old around now they’ve slumped back down to the EFL, but if he is available again, West Brom could seriously boost their promotion efforts by landing their failed January target.

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