Why Jefferson Montero is a shrewd signing for West Brom
According to the BBC, West Brom completed a triple swoop on deadline day for Jefferson Montero, Jacob Murphy and Stefan Johansen.
Jefferson Montero, Jacob Murphy and Stefan Johansen arrived on loan until the end of the season from Swansea City, Newcastle United and Fulham respectively as Darren Moore bolstered his squad for a promotion push.
It’ll be a test for someone like Jefferson Montero to prove himself at West Brom after he didn’t start a single game for Swansea this season but made 13 substitute appearances. However, he made a telling impact in his last game for Swansea in the 3-3 draw against Birmingham City.
Since arriving in England from Mexican club Morelia back in 2014, Jefferson Montero has never been able to take his game to the next level. Inconsistent displays and injuries have proven to be a stumbling block in the Ecuadorian’s progress.
Blessed with pace, trickery and flair, Montero can be a devastating player to come up against on his day. The 29-year-old is a speed demon who can be a real handful for the full-backs but his final ball lacks quality more often than not. That has been one of the most frustrating aspects of his game, while his awful fitness record makes him a gamble for West Brom.
However, Montero can certainly prove all his doubters wrong by bringing consistency to his game at West Brom. He is an exciting player who can carve open defences with his pace, vision and unpredictable movement. Alongside the likes of Jacob Murphy, Matt Phillips, Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez, we could get to see the best of the Ecuadorian international.
Darren Moore, unfortunately, lost Harvey Barnes, Oliver Burke and Bakary Sako in the January transfer window, so the onus will be on Montero and Murphy to fill the void. Montero, in particular, will look to make himself be counted in the Baggies’ promotion chase.
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The only concern will be Montero’s fitness and if Moore can manage to keep the 29-year-old fit and hungry, he could turn out to be one of the Championship signings of the January transfer window.