Why Alberth Elis would be a good signing for West Brom in January
According to the Sun, West Brom are keen on signing Houston Dynamo’s Honduran international forward Alberth Elis, with manager Darren Moore on the lookout for an attacker to replace Harvey Barnes, who has been recalled from his loan spell by Leicester City.
The 22-year-old had a wonderful 2018 season in the MLS where he accumulated 11 goals and 9 assists from 30 appearances. A youth product of Honduran club Olimpia, Elis played for his boyhood club from 2013 to 2016 before making a move to Mexican club Monterrey.
However, he didn’t manage to nail down a first-team spot and was loaned out to MLS outfit Houston Dynamo for the 2017 season where he proved his worth by scoring 11 goals and setting up 3 more in the process. Elis has 22 goals and 15 assists from 64 appearances for Houston across all competitions.
Essentially a right-winger by trade, Elis also has the versatility to lead the line as a centre-forward. Known for his ability to torment defences with his pace, power, strength and dribbling skills, the 22-year-old tends to cut inside from the flanks and have a crack on goal.
Elis is exceptionally fleet-footed and agile. While his quick feet and his ability to get past defenders effortlessly make him a perfect fit for a wide role in the attacking third, the Honduran also has the instincts and awareness of a central striker, getting into the right positions to meet the crosses and the through balls played into the box.
The 22-year-old is also quite good with his movement and excels with his ability to time his jump to perfection to beat his defensive counterparts to the aerial balls.
Elis averages 3.4 shots, 2.6 dribbles, 1.3 key passes and 2.1 aerial duels per game in the MLS this term, figures which speak volumes about his well-rounded abilities as an attacker.
To put things into perspective, he would be an ideal signing for West Brom and the Baggies can expect him to perfectly into the shoes of Harvey Barnes in the second half of the season.
The Baggies currently sit 3rd in the Championship standings, just three points behind Norwich City for the second automatic promotion spot. Darren Moore’s side have the most impressive goalscoring record in the second-tier this season, having already scored 57 goals.
Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle have been the mainstays of West Brom’s attack, with both strikers contributing with 14 goals each. However, Hal Robson-Kanu and Bakary Sako haven’t made too much of an impact and West Brom definitely need another fresh face to bolster their attacking options.
Signing Elis would increase the competition for places up front, something that the Baggies need in order to avoid a potential burnout due to injuries later in the season.
Read More: West Brom re-signing their 30-year-old former star would be nothing but a waste of money
Hence, West Brom should not hesitate to splash the cash on the in-form forward to help them in their bid for automatic promotion.