West Bromwich Albion boss Steve Bruce has admitted his side have shortlisted Aston Villa forward Keinan Davis as a potential option as they potentially look to bring a new striker in before the summer window closes, speaking to the Express and Star.
The Baggies are currently short of options in this position, with Daryl Dike expected to be out for at least two months with a thigh tear and that's a real blow for Albion who would have been hoping to see him make an impact after spending much of the second half of last term also out injured.
Not only is United States international Dike injured - but Kenneth Zohore is also on the sidelines and Karlan Grant hobbled off during yesterday's 1-0 victory against Sheffield United.
These setbacks look set to force Bruce's hand in the transfer market, with the Baggies in desperate need of addressing multiple areas before the summer transfer window closes.
They were previously thought to be interested in luring Villa's Cameron Archer to The Hawthorns for the season after seeing him impress at league rivals Preston North End last term - but Steven Gerrard is keen to keep him in and around the first team.
But they may bring another forward in from their local rivals, according to Bruce, who openly admitted that Davis was a potential option they were considering with Watford also known to be keen on the forward.
Speaking after last night's win against the Blades, he said: "I will never mention names but I know Keinan very well.
"We've been put in a situation we didn't want to be on in but we’ll look at the market and see what's available.
"He's an option, we’ll see where we get with it"
The Verdict:
The 24-year-old could be an exceptional addition as someone that played a big part in helping Nottingham Forest to get back to the Premier League last season, with his impact being instant.
Scoring five times in 18 league appearances, he has shown he can be a prolific scorer in front of goal and can also be a key contributor away from that as well, registering two assists during his stay at the City Ground.
At this stage, it will be interesting to see whether Villa are prepared to let him go out on loan because it would be difficult to see Albion forking out a huge amount for his services, especially if they want to remain within the EFL's financial rules.
With this, they may find themselves out of the race for him if Gerrard refuses to sanction another temporary deal - and you could easily see the Liverpool legend wanting to sell him permanently if he did go considering he's 24 now.
Former loan club Forest seem to be focusing on alternative targets with a £20m bid being submitted for Watford's Emmanuel Dennis, so this could allow Bruce's side to swoop in.