Football League World
·20 January 2024
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·20 January 2024
Andreas Weimann has indicated that he wants to fight for a permanent transfer to West Brom at the end of the season.
The experienced forward joined the Baggies earlier this week following a loan agreement with Bristol City.
The Austrian will be with Albion until the end of this campaign, before a decision will need to be made over his future.
Weimann spent five-and-a-half years at Ashton Gate prior to his move to the Midlands outfit this January.
Albion are fighting for promotion to the Premier League, and have made the move to bring in extra firepower to Carlos Corberan’s side for the second half of the season.
Weimann confirmed that the Robins opted not to trigger a clause to extend his deal with the club by a further 12 months, meaning he will be a free agent in the summer.
The 32-year-old has insisted that he intends to fight for his future by forcing his way into Corberan’s plans at The Hawthorns.
“There was a clause in my contract which I think the club (Bristol City) didn’t want to trigger but I have been around long enough to know that that’s football,” said Weimann to the Express & Star.
“I am excited to be here now.
“It is until the end of the season and I guess it is down to me to show what I can do.
“Hopefully if it all goes well we can extend it but for now until the end of the season I just want to show what I can do and we go from there.
“It is in my hands.
“If I don’t play well then I can’t expect to get offered a contract.
“If I perform and if it works we will see what happens.
“For now I am ready to get minutes and get started.”
West Brom have been struggling off the pitch due to financial constraints placed by the ownership of Guochuan Lai, with a lack of summer signings highlighting the issue.
The club is currently up for sale, but no concrete agreements have been made with any of the interested parties.
It remains to be seen how long it will take to complete a takeover, but any impact likely won’t be seen until the summer at the earliest.
This means West Brom are unlikely to have much money to spend this January, as Corberan looks to build a team capable of earning Premier League promotion.
Given the circumstances, Weimann is a solid arrival for the Baggies to beef up their attacking options for the remainder of the season.
The Austrian has Premier League experience, and knows what it takes to compete at his level.
It was only a couple of seasons ago that he contributed 22 goals and 10 assists to City’s league campaign, so if he can recapture that form then it will be a huge boon for the Baggies.
Even if he can only add five or six goals to his name with Albion, then that will have proven a strong addition to their promotion challenge, especially with how little resources they have to improve the squad at the moment.