"Do you want a Zohore?" - West Brom slammed for Thomas-Asante decision as Coventry hijack Hull move | OneFootball

West Bromwich Albion's Brandon Thomas-Asante is closing in on a move to Coventry City after snubbing Hull City at the eleventh hour

West Bromwich Albion supporters have been warned to be careful about what they wish for, with Brandon Thomas-Asante reportedly having performed a U-turn to snub Hull City for Coventry City in a sensational recent development.

As first reported by Flashscore's Owuraku Ampofo, Thomas-Asante has completed a medical and put pen to paper on a deal with the Sky Blues ahead of an impending announcement.

This latest development marks a stunning latest twist in the saga, with the Ghanaian international forward having been poised to sign for Hull, according to yesterday's report from Baz Cooper of HullLive.

Cooper's reveal disclosed that the Tigers had agreed a seven-figure move, said to be significantly less than the initial £3m reports that circulated elsewhere, for Thomas-Asante, who was reportedly in attendance for their penultimate pre-season fixture at home to Fiorentina only last night.

Thomas-Asante has been subjected to significant transfer speculation after scoring 11 times for West Brom as they reached the Championship play-offs under Carlos Corberan last season, and there finally appears to be a fresh conclusion to his future despite appearing set to be imminently unveiled as Tim Walter's second signing at the MKM Stadium.

The Baggies have acted quick to replace the outgoing forward by swooping for Devante Cole, who is set to sign on a free transfer following his departure from Barnsley at the end of last season, according to an update from The Express and Star's Lewis Cox.

West Brom

Although Thomas-Asante has divided opinion at The Hawthorns, Football League World's West Brom fan pundit Matt Smith has lambasted the club for allowing last term's leading goalscorer to depart for a fellow Championship club.

"Not happy whatsoever with the fact we're selling Thomas-Asante in the first place, for a number of reasons," Matt explained to Football League World.

"Let's take away everything about the team and squad and look at him as a player. What are the minimal expectations you have in a player? Someone who's going to put the team ahead of himself, work hard, bring everything you want off the field, acts as a good role model and sets a great example. These should be the minimum for every footballer, and sadly it's not the case.

"For the last five years we've had a lot of players who aren't like that and I think our mini-revival has came since Corberan became manager and we've started to recruit better characters and players of Thomas-Asante's off-field ilk.

"He's a player you want to support and want to do well, that's the easiest way of putting it, and the problem is we haven't had enough of them at Albion in recent years.

"I'll be gutted to see his personality and influence leave the club but also from a footballing and financial perspective, it really baffles me.

"I think £3 million is the minimum you've got to be looking for him in my opinion.

"He came from League Two as a completely unproven player, hit double figures, got a few assists here and there, his hold-up play is really good, first touch may be lacking and finishing may not be there, but he's improving game on game, month on month, season on season with a manager who is incredible at developing players - and we're letting him go?

"He's got double figures and that's not to be sniffed at. Do you want a [Kenneth] Zohore, do you want a [Jordan] Hugill, do you want a Daryl Dike? Penalties aren't even included in Thomas-Asante's goals per season, if he was on penalties then he'd probably be on 15 (goals)," Matt added.

"I just can't get my head around it. He's not on big wages or anything like that, so a financial sense it doesn't make any sense, from a squad point we've got two crocked strikers in Dike and Maja, and don't get me started on [Karlan] Grant. I'd love to be proved wrong - can't see it happening.

"So we've got one reliable striker who you can chuck out there three games a week and say 'run your heart out for the team, hold the ball up and try and get a goal'. He gets double figures, he's not an absolute donkey and I see fans calling him that.

"I hope the Albion fans that slaughtered him and make him a scapegoat enjoy watching whoever we end up with up front next season. I'm fuming and wish him all the best - I'm not happy whatsoever."

West Brom may regret selling Brandon Thomas-Asante to a divisional rival

Matt is right to fume at West Brom for giving the green light for a decision which really fails to stack up.

The 25-year-old's goal return isn't anything to behold just yet, but he was signed after spending much of his time with Salford operating as a winger and has generally acclimatised extremely well to the huge step-up in class.

He has indeed improved year on year and you'd only expect that trend to have continued under Corberan next term, so questions do need to be asked about why West Brom have decided to sanction a sale after just two years - and to a side who they could be directly tussling with for a top-six finish next season.

Every player has a price, of course, and Thomas-Asante wasn't exactly indispensable.

Given the transfer fee that Coventry are set to spend is reportedly only £2.5 million though, the money they're set to receive is hardly a major windfall and will do little to soften the blow among supporters, who may just begin to question their side's potential promotion credentials.