"Would've been a sight to see" - West Brom transfer regret expressed over Ebere Eze interest | OneFootball

FLW's West Bromwich Albion fan pundit outlines the club's transfer regret after missing out on QPR's Ebere Eze.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Every club in the EFL has transfer regrets and blunders they wish to forget, and West Bromwich Albion are no different.

After gaining promotion in 2019/20, the Baggies were looking to secure their place in the Premier League for the coming seasons in the short-term, but a combination of factors, including poor recruitment, conspired to them fall back into the second tier.

That is where they have been since for the last four seasons, with the aim of returning to the top-flight as soon as possible under Carlos Corberan yet again in the current campaign, where they are embroiled in a play-off race currently.

However, things could perhaps have transpired differently had they made fewer errors in the Premier League in 2020/21, with off-pitch matters continuing to hamper their progress in getting out of the Championship to this day.

West Brom's Eberechi Eze transfer regret outlined

We asked our West Brom fan pundit, Callum Burgess, for his thoughts on who the club's most recent transfer blunder is, and who he wishes they would have signed in hindsight.

Callum told FLW: "In recent years, it would have to be Eberechi Eze, who, after the final game of the season in lockdown, we played QPR and we got promoted after drawing 2-2.

"He was seen having quite a few conversations on the pitch with Slaven Bilic, and later on it appeared as though Albion followed up their interest before he headed to Crystal Palace.

"We made bids of up to £20 million, I think it was - that was before using that money on Grady Diangana.

"Since then, Eze has been a fantastic player in the Premier League for Crystal Palace and has gone from strength-to-strength.

"Recently, he's been linked to the likes of Manchester City. I think he would certainly be up there. You can imagine the team with him and Matheus Pereira in as well.

"It would have been those two combining for us and that would've been a sight to see.

"Other than that, looking more historically, I remember looking at Steve Clark's son on Twitter (X) and he was saying we tried to sign Raphael Varane on loan.

"When Tony Mowbray was manager, we tried to sign Robert Lewandowski. That would have been interesting to see just how many domino effects can happen.

"But in recent years, my choice would be Eze."

Eze's move from QPR to Crystal Palace in 2020 was one of the most astute signings in the Premier League at the time, but many clubs missed an opportunity by not pursuing him more aggressively.

At QPR, Eze showcased his undeniable talent as one of the best players in the Championship, contributing to 14 goals and eight assists in the 2019/20 season. His technical ability, flair on the ball, and composure in tight spaces made him a standout, with his vision and creativity frequently unlocking defences.

Not only that, but he had enormous potential as well, which meant he would retain resale value if a top-flight side unlocked more of that through development, as Palace have managed to do. His versatility meant he was able to operate both as a No. 10 or cutting inside from wide positions.

His dribbling skills and ability to glide past opponents effortlessly meant he had the raw attributes to excel at a higher level. Additionally, Eze’s age made him a valuable long-term investment, as well as one who could have thrived alongside Pereira.

He represented an affordable, high-ceiling talent, and Crystal Palace's ability to secure his signature for around £16 million (rising to £20 million with add-ons) was a coup that others should have emulated, and is one West Brom will regret not getting over the line for some time.