West Brom and Tony Mowbray's almighty transfer fumble cost them world class striker | OneFootball

As West Brom sought security in the top-flight, the club failed to secure Tony Mowbray's top striking choice who would have legendary career.

When West Bromwich Albion's only ambition was survival in the top flight, the club failed to secure the top name on Tony Mowbray's striker wishlist and would forever rue the decision as they descended down the division.

The search for a striker is always one to capture the attention and imagination of a club's collective and for West Brom, the gift of a goalscorer was pivotal in Mowbray's transfer deadline day dreams.

But to the surprise of many, the club delivered a season-defining addition past the dying hours of the window, reuniting the former Blackburn boss with seasoned second-tier goalscorer Adam Armstrong.

A mark has already been made by the Southampton marksman, delivering a goal on his debut that many Baggies pray will be the first of many and should see them comfortably sustain their play-off place and maybe even go one further, as they seek a return to the Premier League after nearly five seasons in the second tier.

But back in 2008, on Mowbray's first ride around in The Hawthorns hot seat, he had a similar winter window wish list with one very recognisable name at the top.

West Brom missed out on future Champions League top scorer and paid the ultimate price

The club were dancing around the danger zone of the division throughout the majority of the campaign, but the winter window offered a late lifeline for West Brom to launch a survival plea by adding to Albion's attacking arsenal, with their hopes set to be rested on securing a striker.

The club had scored just 17 goals within their first 21 matches and was the main reason they were stationed as the stragglers of the division, but this time the club failed to deliver Mowbray's main target and as a result, secured the services of Marc-Antoine Fortune.

Fortune enjoyed spells of success during his temporary term at the Black Country outlet but only managed to score five goals that proved nowhere near enough to guide the side to safety.

The side scored just 36 goals throughout the 38-game campaign that saw them slide down to the second tier in 20th, and although it would only be a one-season spell away from the top flight, it cost the club Mowbray, as he departed for Celtic.

With the beloved Baggies boss returning to The Hawthorns this year, questions are raised over whether Albion could've kept him and stayed up had they secured the top name on his 2008 transfer wishlist.

Robert Lewandowski has gone on to become a world class striker since his links to the Black Country club while Baggies fans have been left wondering what if.

£2m fee proved the issue in Robert Lewandowski pursuit

Before the prolific Pole was a household name and hailed as one of the greatest marksmen in the history of the sport, West Brom had scouted the then 20-year-old who was quick to capture the attention of the Albion, already scoring eight goals before the opening of the winter window.

With little other reported interest, West Brom had the inside track on the frontman and sought to secure the striker's services in a bid to save their season.

However, the £2m price point set for the striker by Lech Poznan proved too big a fee to tempt the Black Country outlet, who still saw him as a gamble despite his goalscoring exploits.

Celebrated sporting director Dan Ashworth, who was majorly responsible for a considerable selection of the shrewd signings the club had made throughout the years, admitted his apprehension about the Pole.

He told the Express and Star's Baggies Broadcast: "Lewandowski was another one where a lot of English clubs were looking at him in the Polish league and wondering whether he would have the physicality, us included. He was on our radar, and we were sort of sniffing around for a period of time.”

The Pole would provide another five goals throughout the rest of the campaign bringing his tally up to 13 in 30 matches, but it was his four goals within the Europa League that started to see the striker's stock rise.

Lewandowski remained with Lech Poznan for another year but the striker's returns considerably stepped up in his second season in the Polish top-flight, and his 18 goals in 28 games proved decisive in crowning his club champions of the Ekstraklasa.

It was this second season that caused bigger fish to attempt to pry the Polish international from Poznan and it was a German Giant who brought him to the country that would become his playground for goals.

A new day dawned at Borussia Dortmund until Bayern Munich would break their hearts

Lewandowski was recruited by Borussia Dortmund in 2010 for a fee of just €4m and would immediately endear himself to the black and yellow army.

In his first season, his eight goals proved key in ending Dortmund's Bundesliga silverware drought, playing a part in delivering their first German Championship since 2001/02, then would repeat the feat the following year, providing 30 goals that saw the side retain their silverware as the division's best.

The Pole would prove prolific within his final two years with BVB, again netting over 20 goals for Dortmund in both seasons, but would eventually break their hearts after signing a pre-contract agreement with bitter rivals Bayern Munich.

Lewandowski would stay for eight seasons with the German giants, whom he would win the Bundesliga eight times in a row with and be the top goalscorer in six.

He would win the Champions League with Bayern Munich in 2020, where he also enjoyed his finest individual scoring season with 41 goals in just 29 Bundesliga matches, before eventually departing the Allianz for Barcelona in 2022.

La Liga is where Lewandowski still enjoys his football to this day and, even now at the age of 36, shows no sign of his goalscoring exploits slowing, topping the scoring charts in the Spanish top-flight and scoring nine already within the Champions League.

Boasting one of the great goal records to ever grace the game Lewandowski has amassed a trophy collection consisting of 29 pieces of silverware throughout his career and still refuses to call time.

Who could have known the path the Poles' career would have taken if West Brom had shown slightly more ambition during that winter window of 2009, but one thing's for certain, wherever he would go, goals would follow.