Former West Bromwich Albion forward Kevin Phillips has issued the Baggies a warning about target Tom Lawrence's consistency in recent years, in an interview with West Brom News.
The Welsh international currently plies his trade with Derby County - and was made captain of the club this summer after impressing Wayne Rooney in pre-season - joining from Leicester City in 2017 for a £5m fee and becoming one of the club's more experienced figures since then.
This major boost for the 27-year-old comes after a disappointing 2020/21 campaign, where he was only able to make 23 Championship appearances, scoring three goals and recording just two assists during his limited time on the pitch.
However, the winger has proven to be a considerable second-tier threat in the past as he bagged himself 10 goals and four assists in the season before last - and could be viewed as a potential replacement for Matheus Pereira, who joined Al-Hilal last week.
After seeing the Brazilian record an exceptional 17 goal contributions in the Premier League term, anyone who comes in to replace him will face the daunting task of filling the void he's left.
Former Baggie Phillips believes he could be a good addition to Valerien Ismael's side, but has one reservation about his consistency in recent years.
Speaking to West Brom News about this potential deal, he said: "Having worked with Tom a few times, he can be inconsistent but on his day, he can be a handful for any defender.
"He can score goals but my biggest concern would be his consistency. However, you would like to think he’d stay consistent now he’s another year older.
"If he does come to West Brom, the manager loves to play football and you’d like to think they could play through him.
"He could be a decent signing but my only slight concern would be the consistency of his performances. But if you get him in, play him every week and he plays well, you’ll have a good player on your hands and he’ll score goals too."
The Verdict:
This signing could continue West Brom's theme of not spending a huge amount of money on players this summer, which might be wise considering the EFL's profit and sustainability rules and the drop in revenue the club will suffer after their relegation.
The reason why this could be a cheap signing is because of the fact Lawrence has less than a year left on his current deal and if selling one of their prized assets means they are given a lot more freedom in the transfer market by the EFL, Derby County might just be willing to cash in on their captain.
The Rams' manager Wayne Rooney recently said he's not for sale at any price. And could you blame him? He doesn't have enough players to work with as it is. But this one possibility of the EFL relaxing their rules further on the condition they sell Lawrence may make this deal a possibility.
Kevin Phillips' verdict on the winger is a fair one though considering his form from last season - and will leave many wondering whether he can be a sufficient replacement for the departed Pereira.
You will never be able to replace fully the 25-year-old with the amount of quality he brought to The Hawthorns, but they definitely need another wide man to come in and make a difference.