OPINION
West Brom are looking depleted in the goalkeeping department after Sky Sports reported that stopper Ben Foster left the club for Watford on 5 July – and that is something that must change sooner rather than later.
The Baggies’ completed the transfer of keeper Sam Johnstone from Manchester United on 3 July, as revealed on United’s official website, but they need suitable cover for Johnstone as they bid for promotion.
The club have Alex Palmer on the books, but he has made no senior appearances for the team and cannot be relied upon to be the second choice keeper.
Nottingham Forest could wrap up a deal for Benfica goalkeeper Bruno Varela next week as reported by Portuguese outlet Record, but West Brom must hijack this potential deal to ensure that they have adequate cover to Johnstone.
Forest are said big fans of Portuguese shot-stopper, which comes to no surprise as Varela is a towering presence between the sticks, having made 35 appearances in all competitions for the Liga NOS outfit.
The 6’3″ (source: Transfermarkt) colossus keeper would be the perfect addition to boss Darren Moore’s side, and is a player who can be relied upon to make the vital saves that helped the Eagles to second place in Portugal’s top-flight.
His potential addition would provide healthy competition for Johnstone, with the number one spot possibly being up for grabs seeming as the two keepers have not had the chance to prove themselves just yet.
The Baggies would certainly be one of the favourites for promotion if they captured the services of Varela, as having two top-class keepers on the books is what most teams can only hope for.
Moore must now brush aside his Championship rivals and hijack their deal for the stopper, in order to provide the depth that he needs in his goalkeeping department.