West Brom must dream of winter window transfer that led to £175k masterstroke | OneFootball

After joining the club from PSG for only £175k, former West Brom midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu went on to become a star for the West Midlands club.

After coming through the ranks at PSG in 2009, then-unknown Democratic Republic of Congo midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu moved on loan to West Bromwich Albion until the summer.

After making only six league appearances in six months at the club, new manager Roberto Di Matteo decided to take a punt on the midfielder, signing him for the innocuous price of £175k.

Although unbeknownst to him at the time, Di Matteo had just signed a player who would go on to become a legend for the Baggies, racking up 157 Premier League appearances and being an ever-present figure over the next six seasons but it all started with that January loan move.

Youssouf Mulumbu instantly became a star for West Brom

Mulumbu's first full season at the club came in the Championship after West Brom were relegated at the closure of the 2008/09 Premier League campaign. Despite having barely featured in the previous six months on loan, he started 35 league games under Di Matteo, as the Baggies made an immediate return to the top flight.

Mulumbu was singled out as being a tough-tackling, robust midfielder, who was never afraid of a heavy challenge and put opposition players under a lot of pressure. However, this powerful exterior did not come at the expense of his technical ability, as he was the club's second top scorer in the first season back in the Premier League, chipping in with six goals in 34 starts as West Brom managed to avoid relegation and retain their top-flight status for another year.

Youssouf Mulumbu had some incredible moments with the club

Although flying under the radar due to West Brom's limited success during his time at the club, there were some standout moments for Mulumbu during his time with the Baggies. His most notable goal came in a 2-1 victory at the Hawthorns against Aston Villa.

With the score at 1-1, West Brom were reduced to 10 men after Paul Scharner was dismissed for a second yellow card. However, with six minutes to play, Mulumbu made a darting diagonal run into the box, holding off centre-back James Collins and able to convert a deft chip over goalkeeper Brad Friedel. Wild celebrations ensued as West Brom were able to overcome their Midlands rivals for the first time since 1985.

Another famous goal for Mulumbu was his conversion of the fourth goal in West Brom's well-documented 5-5 draw with Manchester United, which was Sir Alex Ferguson's last-ever game as manager of the club.

A cutback from right-back Billy Jones allowed Mulumbu to convert a cool finish into the bottom left corner past stand-in goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard. Mere minutes later, Romelu Lukaku completed his hat-trick and finalised the comeback.

Youssouf Mulumbu's impressive stats for West Brom

During his time with the Baggies, Mulumbu made 211 appearances, scoring 14 goals and providing 12 assists. For just £175k, it was a fantastic return, something that could not have been anticipated when considering Mulumbu arrived at The Hawthorns with little expectation on his shoulders.

However, Mulumbu's aggressive play style often got the better of him, as he also received 28 yellow cards and five reds during his time at West Brom. His most notable dismissal came against West Ham in 2013, when he famously picked up the ball during play and drop-kicked it toward Gary O'Neil after he had pulled his shirt.

Players that relied upon strength and force to dominate midfield seem to be fading more and more from the modern game, which will make West Brom fans wonder if they will ever see a player of Mulumbu's calibre at the club again.

It all started with a loan late in the winter window and Albion will be dreaming of completing a similar deal as January approaches with Carlos Corberan's side battle for promotion back to the Premier League once again.