West Brom are being linked with a swoop for Blackburn Rovers hitman Rudy Gestede after it emerged that new manager Tony Pulis has been distinctly underwhelmed by his attacking options.
According to reports across a range of today’s newspapers it’s understood that neither Georgios Samaras nor £10m summer signing Brown Ideye are have impressed man charged with ensuring survival for the Throstles.
But what does Pulis want with a player who Cardiff deemed sufficiently surplus to be shipped out on loan after they’d secured promotion to the Premier League in 2013/14?
The graphic below illustrates a common thread when it comes to strikers Pulis has signed during his year’s as a Premier League manager.
Benin international Gestede’s muscular 6f 4in frame and surprisingly impressive pace means he certainly fits the bill when it comes to the baseball-cap-bedecked boss’ idea of a number nine.
Yet he’s far from just a head on a stick – the Frenchman has been a goal-scoring revelation since arriving at Ewood Park on an emergency loan in November 2013.
Having amassed a mere nine strikes in 63 games for Cardiff, the former Metz man has rewarded Gary Bowyer’s faith by notching 21 times in 41 appearances for the Lancashire outfit.
Originally signed as support for lower division goal machine Jordan Rhodes, the 26-year-old has set about putting his teammate in the shade this term, bagging 12 goals to the latter’s nine.
Gestede is as short as 6/4 to move to the Hawthorns, either permanently or on loan, by the February 2, 2015, although it’s thought Hull City are also interested in the striker.
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