Exclusive: What Don Goodman thinks about West Brom signing AFC Bournemouth ace David Brooks | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman spoke exclusively to FLW about West Bromwich Albion's reported interest in Bournemouth playmaker David Brooks

Sky Sports pundit and EFL expert has urged West Bromwich Albion to complete an ambitious loan swoop for Bournemouth's David Brooks, who could depart the Cherries on a temporary basis in this summer's transfer window amid interest from Ryan Mason's side.

The former Tottenham Hotspur assistant penned a three-year contract to take over as Tony Mowbray's successor at the Hawthorns earlier this month, and will be looking to intricately design the squad in his mold ahead of a potential promotion push next season.

West Brom finished ninth in the 2024/25 Championship campaign after falling away in the latter stages of the season under Mowbray, consequently missing out on a spot inside the play-off positions.

Reinforcements are required if West Brom are to bridge the gap and compete for promotion next time around, and Mason has already sealed the first signing of his tenure in the form of experienced central defender Nat Phillips from Liverpool.

He will be hoping to seal further additions in the coming weeks, however, and while the likes of Mikey Moore and Lawrence Shankland have been linked with the Baggies, perhaps their most exciting signing could prove to be David Brooks - if they can get a deal over the line, of course.

According to a report from The Express and Star, Albion are among a number of Championship clubs monitoring the situation of the 35-cap Welsh international.

Bournemouth are reportedly considering the option of sanctioning a loan exit for Brooks, who started on just nine occasions in the Premier League across 24/25 and has seen his game time decrease over the last two seasons under Andoni Iraola amid stiff competition from the likes of Justin Kluivert, Dango Ouattara, Marcus Tavernier and Antoine Semenyo.

Brooks, of course, has shown his worth at Championship, Premier League and even international level throughout the course of his career and helped Southampton to promotion via the play-offs in the 2023/24 term when he sealed a half-season loan switch across the south coast.

What Don Goodman thinks about West Brom potentially signing Bournemouth's David Brooks

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Goodman has urged West Brom to complete a deal for Brooks, which he believes could potentially represent one of the club's very finest in recent times.

In Goodman's view - and a sentiment shared by many, of course - 27-year-old Brooks is a "magnificent player" at Championship level.

"I'm thinking if West Bromwich Albion could potentially get David Brooks through the door, he could prove to be one of the best signings that they've made in recent years to be honest with you," Goodman told FLW.

"I think he is a magnificent player at Championship level. Obviously minutes were rare for him, he only started nine matches of the 29 matches he played for Bournemouth in the Premier League last season, scored a couple of goals.

"But he was a standout when he went out on loan to Southampton, where he helped them get promoted to the Premier League.

"For West Brom, he would be a real coup."

David Brooks' versatility could be a huge asset for West Brom if move is sealed

Brooks is technically superb and has the quality to spearhead attacks with his close control in tight spaces, ability to thread the needle with line-breaking passes in behind and willingness to progressively run with the ball into dangerous areas.

From a creative standpoint, Brooks is first-rate. West Brom will no doubt be desperate to source fresh creativity from wide areas if 14-assist winger Tom Fellows leaves the West Midlands amid strong links to David Moyes' Everton, and Brooks could fill that void even if he represents a less-direct profile than the 21-year-old.

Brooks is just as comfortable playing wide-right, where he often looks to cut infield, as he is operating through the middle as an attacking midfielder. The Baggies have a real void to fill in that position, with Grady Diangana and John Swift both departing the club ahead of the expiration of their contracts at the end of this month, and Brooks would offer a sure-fire upgrade.

His technical prowess is undoubted, but the winger's positional flexibility could also be crucial in what will likely be a fluid and interchangable system under Mason next term and it's little wonder why the Baggies are pursuing his services.