West Brom & Middlesbrough could sign the EFL’s new Emi Buendia in £8m deal

West Bromwich Albion can start to prepare their plans for the upcoming summer transfer window after their Championship status was saved by James Morrison.

The Scottish coach only lost two of his 12 games in charge at the end of the season to take the team clear of the bottom three, which earned him the job on a permanent deal.

Morrison now has to use the summer window to build a squad that can compete at the top end of the table rather than being in a relegation scrap again.

The attack is an area of the squad that could be looked at after the Baggies ended the season with three goalless draws in the last six Championship matches.

As part of that, the Albion should be looking to sign the EFL’s next creative wizard, in the mould of the likes of Emi Buendia, Matheus Pereira, Pablo Hernandez, and Adel Taarabt.

Why West Brom need to sign a creative midfield player

The Baggies do not have an outstanding creative midfield player who can create moments of magic on a regular basis, as Norwich had when Buendia racked up 15 goals and 16 assists in the 2020/21 Championship season.

Norwich’s Argentine magician also produced eight goals and 12 assists when Daniel Farke’s side won the title in the 2018/19 campaign, and West Brom need to find their own version of him.

In the 2025/26 season, no West Brom central or attacking midfielder created more than eight ‘big chances’ or registered more than four assists in the division, with Alex Mowatt leading the way in both metrics.

Isaac Price often played in the number ten position and was in the team to provide creativity, but he failed to do so on a regular enough basis for the Baggies.

The Northern Ireland international averaged an assist every 23 matches in the league and only created six ‘big chances’ in total, which shows that he rarely split open opposition defences with creative passes.

Therefore, West Brom need to be in the market for a creative midfielder or wide player who can be their own version of Buendia at The Hawthorns.

West Brom could sign the Championship’s new Emi Buendia

The Baggies and Championship rivals Middlesbrough, who are in the play-offs to get promotion to the Premier League this month, are both reportedly keen on a star who could be the league’s new Buendia.

Both West Brom and Boro are plotting a move to sign Charleroi winger Parfait Guiagon in the upcoming summer transfer window, and a fee of £8m could be enough to secure his services.

The Ivorian star, who can play as a winger or as an attacking midfielder, just like Buendia, could be a fantastic signing for either club because of his form in the Belgium in the past two seasons.

At the age of 25, the Ivorian star is also heading into the prime years of his career and could produce even more goals and assists if he continues to develop and improve his game.

That is why West Brom and Boro should both be pushing to complete a deal for the 12-goal star when the summer transfer window opens, particularly if Kim Hellberg’s side fail in the play-offs.

Guiagon has the potential to be the Championship’s new Buendia with his ability to score and assist goals in equal measure, and he could be exactly what Morrison needs to transform his attack at The Hawthorns.