West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Bruce has admitted that forward Kenneth Zohore needs to move on to pastures new.

Bruce opted to hand Zohore the chance to prove himself in a pre-season friendly with Leyton Orient.

Since featuring in this game, the forward has sustained a minor issue with his groin.

Not included in West Brom's squad to face Middlesbrough last week, Zohore is unlikely to feature against Watford on Monday due to the presence of Daryl Dike and Karlan Grant.

Set to make his return to training today, it will be interesting to see whether Zohore attracts any interest from elsewhere between now and the end of the transfer window.

After being loaned out to Millwall during the 2020/21 campaign, the 28-year-old would have been hoping to play regularly for Albion in the second-tier last season.

However, Zohore only made three senior appearances for West Brom who were forced to settle for a 10th-place finish in the Championship standings.

Ahead of the club's upcoming clash with Watford, Bruce has made a frank claim about Zohore's future.

Speaking to Birmingham Live, Bruce said: "It's a struggle for Ken.

"He's got a bit of a tight groin at the minute.

"We don't think it's anything serious but he's back on the pitch on Friday.

"It's unfortunately an ongoing saga

"I think it's fair to say that he probably needs to move on, and find a new home.

"It's not gone well for him here.

"He's come through pre-season, he's got a tiny niggle but he's okay."

 

 

Bruce later added: "For his sake, and everybody else's sake, he just needs to find a new home.

"He needs to kick-start his career again, that's what he needs."

The Verdict

It is hardly a surprise that Bruce has opted to take this particular stance regarding Zohore's current situation at West Brom.

When you consider that the Baggies signed Zohore for a fee believed to be in the region of £8m in 2019, it is fair to say that he hasn't justified this transfer fee.

In the 23 games that he has played for West Brom, the forward has only managed to find the back of the net on five occasions.

Currently below Dike and Grant in the pecking order at West Brom, Zohore may indeed benefit from securing a permanent exit from The Hawthorns in the coming weeks.

Whether the forward emerges as a target for another team remains to be seen as he has struggled for form in recent seasons.