OPINION
West Brom must consider a shock swoop to sign Wolves star John Ruddy this summer as the club braces itself for long-serving goalkeeper Ben Foster to leave.
According to reliable journalist Pete O’Rourke on his personal Twitter account, Hawthorns ace Foster, 35, is set to undergo a medical at Watford today (Thursday) and that will leave the Baggies in need of a new goalkeeper to serve as back-up to Sam Johnstone.
Watford have agreed a deal with West Brom for goalkeeper Ben Foster with player set for a medical at Vicarage Road today. #watfordfc #WBA
— Pete O'Rourke (@SportsPeteO) July 5, 2018
Boaz Myhill has already left The Hawthorns when his contract expired at the end of June and that leaves manager Darren Moore in desperate need of someone who can not only play a crucial role if Johnstone was to get injured or suspended next season, but also someone who can provide healthy competition.
Ruddy is the perfect man for the job after helping Black Country rivals Wolves win promotion last term and since then he has dropped down the pecking order with Nuno Espirito Santo signing up Rui Patricio as his new number one.
The ex-Norwich shot-stopper has years of experience in both the Premier League and Championship, appearing 163 times in the second-tier, keeping 58 clean sheets in the process.
He has also won promotion to the Premier League three times, as champion, runner-up and play-off winner.
Offloading Foster, who according to statistics website Spotrac earns £60,000-a-week at West Brom, will free up some of the wage bill and some funds for the Baggies to continue their summer overhaul since relegation, as so far Johnstone has been the club’s only signing.
Ruddy will unlikely be asking for wages that match Foster’s as he will have increased chance of first team football at The Hawthorns and he is in the final year of his contract at Molineux, so a transfer fee may be pretty cheap.
It would be an unlikely move for Albion to sign up a player from their bitter rivals with Paul Edwards being the last player to directly cross the Black Country divide when he swapped the gold and black for blue and white stripes in 1994.
However it is a move that ultimately Moore must look to press on with ahead of next season.