Former England international Emile Heskey believes West Brom should make a move for Tottenham Hotspur forward Dane Scarlett now Ryan Mason has taken the hotseat at The Hawthorns.
West Brom announced the appointment of Mason this week after a six-week search for Tony Mowbray’s successor, with the Baggies going for a complete change in their coaching profile.
The Baggies suffered disappointment this season as they missed out on a play-off place, and Mason will have to deal with the expectation and pressure of delivering success in his first ever full-time managerial role.
After revealing to have lost £33.9m over the course of the 2023/24 season, West Brom will have to cut their cloth accordingly and remain shrewd in the summer transfer window.
Many are expecting the former Tottenham Hotspur coach to use his links at Spurs to recruit players, and Heskey was asked whether he expects some of their youngsters to make the switch to B71.
Emile Heskey backs West Brom to complete Dane Scarlett summer swoop
Speaking exclusively to Football League World (via Poker Scout), Emile Heskey believes Ryan Mason will be looking to raid Tottenham Hotspur for some additions, and backed former Oxford United loanee Dane Scarlett to link up with the former Hull City midfielder in the West Midlands.
Heskey said: “It would be silly for him not to (sign players from Spurs). One that jumps out is Dane Scarlett. Somebody like that would be fantastic because you’re getting a player who really should be playing first-team football and somebody who’s hungry because he’s playing for the England U21s.
“You’re getting a player who, throughout his progression, has scored goals, so he knows where the net is, which is fantastic for that level of team.
“West Brom is a funny team as they used to be a team who yo-yo’d between the Premier League and the Championship, always ended up getting back up, staying up for a bit, then coming down, but always knowing they were going to come back up at some point.
“They need to establish themselves again, and they’ve got a young manager, so it’ll be interesting to see what he can get out of the squad and then what he can bring in. He has got to establish what he has right now and then see where he can plug the gaps because he’s got good pedigree from the Spurs' youth setup.”
Dane Scarlett wouldn’t be first choice in the West Brom striker pecking order
Dane Scarlett showed what he could do in flashes while on loan at Oxford United, scoring four times from 20 appearances, including a last-minute equaliser against the Baggies.
The frontman was recalled from the Kassam Stadium and only featured three times in the Premier League before requiring groin surgery, with Scarlett expected to make a return later this month and be ready for pre-season.
It would be a case of Albion easing him back into action if he joined, while Scarlett isn't expected to be preferred ahead of the likes of Josh Maja or Daryl Dike if they have an injury-free season.
Albion will require another striker for depth if Maja and Dike end up on the treatment table, so it appears a move for Scarlett wouldn’t be in the best interests of his career, unless Ryan Mason shows immense faith in the 21-year-old.