Former Real Madrid and Arsenal star emerges onto West Brom radar

West Brom are looking to bolster their striking ranks and are reportedly in talks with former Real Madrid, Arsenal and Tottenham star Emmanuel Adebayor over a move to The Hawthorns.

Adebayor, 36, is currently a free agent after ending his stint at Paraguayan club Olympia and is said to be keen on a return to the Premier League.

The man capped 87 times by Togo is well-known to followers of England’s top division. He made 142 appearances for the Gunners between 2006 and 2009 before a disappointing short stint with Manchester City.

His Etihad experience ended with a loan move to Real Madrid but he was soon back in the Premier League – scoring 42 goals from 113 appearances in all competitions for Spurs.

The veteran’s last foray in the Premier League saw him bag just one goal from 15 outings at Crystal Palace.

Adebayor then spent three years with Turkish Super Lig outfit Istanbul Basaksehir before switching to Kayserispor in the same league for six months.

Concerns over the coronavirus pandemic meant he left Olympia in July and The Sun are reporting that his representatives have already opened dialogue with Albion officials over a move to the West Midlands.

The Baggies’ underwhelming start to the season, which sees them pointless and bottom of the standings after two matches, has reiterated the need for manager Slaven Bilic to dip into the transfer market.

They have been linked with Huddersfield Town’s England Under-23 forward Karlan Grant.

The ex-Charlton Athletic ace was omitted from the Terriers’ squad as they lost their Championship opener 1-0 to Norwich City while he was also missing for the subsequent 3-0 drubbing away at Brentford.

But if Bilic can’t land Grant before the transfer deadline, he could turn to Adebayor, who can arrive at any time due to his availability as a free agent.

A return to the Premier League would appeal to the Togo striker, who wants to reach a century of goals in England’s top flight – and was just three short of that tally when he left Palace in 2016.

Defence in need of help

While a new frontman might be a priority for the Croatian tactician, shoring up a leaky rearguard is also deemed necessary.

Albion have shipped eight goals in their opening two top-flight games, with last weekend’s horror show at Everton a stark reminder of how tough it will be this term.

Former Chelsea full-back Branislav Ivanovic has been recruited but there is every chance that another defender will be brought in before the transfer window shuts.

An EFL Cup third-round exit to Brentford on Tuesday evening will have done little for the players’ confidence ahead of Saturday’s huge test at home to Chelsea.

The Blues opened up their league campaign with a 3-1 victory at Brighton before falling to champions Liverpool.

In contrast to West Brom, Frank Lampard’s men put six past Barnsley to advance in the EFL Cup this week and will provide Bilic’s charges with a tough task.

Read more: Check out our predictions for West Brom v Chelsea.