By Kieran Gill (dailymail.co.uk):
West Brom went all out in buying Brown Ideye for £10million, breaking their own record transfer fee and telling the world they’re deadly serious about not being sucked into a relegation battle.
But plenty of questions have been asked since they bought the striker from Dynamo Kiev.
Who is he? What’s he done to be worth that kind of money? Will he adapt or just be another dud?
Here, Sportsmail gives you the lowdown on the 25-year-old from Nigeria.
How did the £10m price-tag come about?
At 25, Ideye’s stock has risen over the years.mThe forward began with Ocean Boys, where he won the Nigerian Premier League, before venturing to Europe, as most aspiring youngsters would.
The then-20-year-old joined Swiss outfit Neuchatel Xamax and, a failed trial at Dutch side Willem II Tilburg along the way, made it to Ligue 1 with Sochaux, costing about £4m at the time.
He’s upped his price as he goes along, particularly after joining Dynamo Kiev for £7m in 2011. There, he scored 33 goals in 74 games in the Ukrainian Premier League.
Kiev wanted to make a profit on their initial investment, and have done so with the £10m sale.
Has he had his heart set on the Premier League for a while?
Yes, but not with West Brom. The striker actually preferred Newcastle United.
In 2013, he was rated at £9m and Swansea, West Ham and Stoke were others on the chase.
But last year, his agent Hootan Ahmadi had this to say: ‘There has been a lot of interest from English clubs, but Newcastle would be Brown’s preferred choice for a number of reasons.
‘They have a good fan-base and play an attacking style of football.
‘He has a good knowledge of the club and of the Premier League. Brown would love to test himself at that level.’
He’s got the chance now, just not at St James’ Park.
How will he fit in?
West Brom have been crying out for a powerful striker ever since Romelu Lukaku’s loan spell came to an end, and they may find it in Ideye.
He’s strong, fast-paced, particularly good in the air, and has proved himself in the Champions League and internationally, too.
The Baggies teetered above relegation to the Championship last year, and Saido Berahino and Stephane Sessegnon were their top goalscorers in a dismal Premier League campaign on five.
If Ideye can adapt to England as he did to Ukraine, then he can be the goalscorer they crave.
Will he be a dud or a success?
It’s always difficult to judge, but there are no worrying signs to indicate that he will be anything other than a success at the Hawthorns.
Some players instantly adapt to the Premier League, others take time, and a few never do. But Ideye seems a determined striker who’s been waiting for this chance for a while.
When he moved to Switzerland, he admitted he struggled with the cold weather. However, he became enough of a handful to defenders to earn a move to Ligue 1.
West Brom have raised a few eyebrows with their spending on Ideye, but time will tell if it was too impulsive or a stroke of genius.
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COMMENTS
Yes this is a new challenge for brown ideye but I know he will succeed in the colors of west brom and also excel in the premiership