This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict’ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

West Bromwich Albions's search for a new striker in January could take them across the Midlands to Aston Villa, with Keinan Davis a player of interest.

That is according to Baggies correspondent Steve Madeley of The Athletic, who revealed in his live blog that Davis is a player that has been mentioned as a potential recruit when the transfer window re-opens.

Jordan Hugill has failed to fire for Albion, scoring just once in 16 Championship outings and Daryl Dike, who Valerien Ismael had at Barnsley on loan last season, could prove to be out of reach financially.

23-year-old Davis could offer an alternative though having played just once in the Premier League this season due to a mix of injury and the arrival of Danny Ings at Villa Park over the summer.

Davis has just seven goals in 87 senior appearances for Steven Gerrard's side over his career - would he be a good signing for the Baggies and add strength to what they already have? The FLW team have shared their thoughts.

 

 

 

 

 

Josh Cole

Although it is abundantly clear that West Brom need to bolster their options up-front in January, they ought to avoid making a move for Keinan Davis.

During his previous spell at this level with Aston Villa, the forward only managed to score two goals for the club despite making 40 appearances in this division.

With there being no guarantee that he will be able to adapt to Valerien Ismael’s distinctive style of play, Davis may struggle to make any inroads on the club’s starting eleven if he seals a switch to The Hawthorns.

Instead of taking a risk on the Villa forward, Ismael should be looking to bring in an individual who can offer more of a physical presence as West Brom look to launch a push for promotion in the second-tier in 2022.

Charlie Gregory

Keinan Davis represents a gamble by West Brom but it could be one that will pay off. He’s a strong, commanding presence in attack and has the potential to get better given more regular gametime.

Right now with Aston Villa, he has been limited in terms of the amount of games he is starting for the club.

Any player is bound to struggle in front of goal if they are working on scraps in terms of minutes and opportunities, so if he is allowed to start in the second tier for the Baggies, he could thrive.

He’s still young too, so the scope is there for him to grow and become a very good attacker.

However, there’s still some doubts in my mind about his ability to be a goalscorer and whether or not he is what West Brom need right now.

What the Baggies and their fans want is a striker who can score goals consistently and help them to get the wins they need (someone like Aleksandar Mitrovic, although anyone will tell you, strikers like him are not easy to come by).

Davis is not that player right now. There is no guarantee of goals with him, he’s never really had a run in the Premier League and his last stint in the Championship resulted in a paltry two goals.

He was younger then, yes, but it’s still not great reading for West Brom fans.

If the Baggies were after a solid squad player or another striker to just boost their forward line, then Davis would be great.

Right now though they want a leader in attack who can guarantee goals - and I’m not sure they’d get that with Davis.

Chris Gallagher

I'm not sure that he's the answer to Albion's problems.

That's not to say that Davis wouldn't be a good player for most Championship clubs, because he improved a lot last season and has the ability to make a big impact at this level.

He is physically strong and he will be desperate to prove himself after a few frustrating years.

However, Albion need a prolific goalscorer. They have Jordan Hugill who can lead the line, hold the ball up and be a focal point, but he simply isn't scoring enough, and Davis' record doesn't suggest that he will be able to rectify that problem because he hasn't done it in the past.

Bringing in a new number nine has to be the priority in the winter but Ismael needs someone who can finish the chances the team are creating, and there will be better options out there than the Villa man to do that.