Southampton ready action to raid West Brom for Che Adams replacement | OneFootball

Thomas-Asante has been viewed as a target for Russell Martin as Saints look to bolster their attacking options

Highlights

Southampton are reportedly looking to bolster their forward line with the addition of West Bromwich Albion forward Brandon Thomas-Asante.

That's according to a fresh report from Football Insider on Tuesday morning, who claim that the South Coast side are plotting a move for the Albion forward after losing the services of Che Adams across the summer.

The two clubs are preparing for life in the Premier League and Championship respectively, just two months after they clashed in the play-off semi-finals, where the Saints emerged victorious with a 3-0 aggregate scoreline after a trio of second half strikes in the second leg.

And after regaining their top flight status at Wembley, Russell Martin's side earned a reported £140m in future earnings to aid their consolidation back in the big time, with the Ghanaian front man the latest in their list of targets.

Southampton eye move for Brandon Thomas-Asante

Referring back to the latest update from Football Insider, it is believed that the 25-year-old is viewed as a potential replacement for the aforementioned Adams, who has since joined Serie A outfit Torino on a free transfer after his deal at St Mary's expired.

Whilst no fee has been mooted by the publication, it is believed that Saints are admirers of the former Salford City forward who banged in 12 goals across all competitions for Carlos Corberan's side last term as they finished in fifth place.

Thomas-Asante moved to the Hawthorns from the Greater Manchester side in the summer of 2022 for just £300,000 under the management of Steve Bruce, and has been a key performer in what was his maiden venture into the second tier of English football.

The man who recently made his debut for the Ghanaian national team is currently out of contract in B71 next summer, meaning that the summer transfer window is currently one of two time periods where Albion can make a profit on his services at present.

Despite being the only player in this part of the West Midlands to reach a goal tally of double figures, Thomas-Asante has been a source of frustration on occasions, proven by the total of 18 big chances being squandered across the entirety of last season's league campaign.

The Southampton boss clearly has an eye for talent in the EFL that can look to make the step-up in quality to the top flight, having already reunited with his former Swansea City colleague Nathan Wood, as well as the signing of Peterborough United's highly-coveted England youth international, Ronnie Edwards.

Thomas-Asante has 18 goals to his name in the last two seasons at The Hawthorns, which is a respectable return, but having never played in the Premier League before, it would be a big ask to see whether the 25-year-old is a suitable replacement for the Scotland international, who netted 25 top flight goals for the Reds after his move from Birmingham City five years ago.

Of course, the Ghanaian could emulate such numbers, but it's a big risk for Southampton to take and one which Corberan and the Albion hierarchy could look to gamble on.

That's if they can turn a pretty profit on his signature whilst his stock is seemingly high, after interest from both Stoke City and Leeds United surfaced this time last year, with Albion rejecting a £2m bid from the Potters.

Given the Premier League interest, it would be wise for Albion to up the ante in terms of their valuation. However, it's understandable that Saints have Thomas-Asante on their radar for a potential cut-price deal which, from their point of view, could turn into a bargain.