West Bromwich Albion returned to winning ways in the Championship after back-to-back 2-0 defeats in both league and Cup, new signing Andreas Weimann the difference-maker from off the bench to get the better of Birmingham City 1-0 late on.
Arguably a fortunate victory from a Baggies perspective, with Carlos Corberan's men only having two shots on target and less of the ball at 49% possession, the Spanish boss will just be thankful that his determined side managed to find the back of the net in the dying minutes to pick up the three points and further consolidate a playoff spot.
Weimann spared Brandon Thomas-Asante's blushes by converting a late opportunity, a poor day at the office for the ex-Salford City man who is usually a dependable source of goals as the lone attacker.
Corberan could well live to regret not signing this striker as a result to add competition to places in the West Midlands, the failed target in question could have even come in and snatched Thomas-Asante's fixed position with blistering displays.
West Brom wanted to sign Divin Mubama
Opting instead to sign the aforementioned Weimann and West Ham United youngster Callum Marshall to bolster up top, the West Brom boss could have signed a different Hammers starlet entirely in Divin Mubama during the transfer window.
A report from the Daily Mail during the midst of the frantic window suggested that the Championship promotion hopefuls were interested in securing the services of the standout 19-year-old on a loan deal, with fellow second-tier side Sunderland also keen on signing Mubama to add to their striker numbers.
A move would, unfortunately, never get off the ground for the Baggies with Corberan just praying now that Thomas-Asante regains his clinical edge in front of goal in the matches to follow in February after the slim Birmingham win.
Mubama has never really experienced a barren spell at youth level for the Hammers in contrast, a deadly and instinctive finisher that would have undoubtedly strengthened the West Midlands outfit.
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ByLuke RandallFeb 1, 2024 Divin Mubama's career statistics
Onto 18 first-team appearances already for West Ham, the breakout teenage sensation is held in very high regard at the London Stadium and by David Moyes in particular who was reportedly sceptical at sanctioning a loan deal for Mubama to exit the Premier League club.
Hype surrounding Mubama's ability now and what he could go on to achieve later in his career is justified, bagging a startling 56 goals from 88 appearances playing for both the U18s and U21s.
It's no surprise to see that Mubama has won the coveted Young Hammer of the Year award off the back of these heroics therefore, described as being an "incredible" figure for the U18s in particular when scoring goals for fun by academy manager Kenny Brown.
In contrast, Thomas-Asante has only netted two goals in his last five West Brom starts with his display against Birmingham notably flat.
The 5 foot 11 striker failed to register a single shot on target versus the Blues before being substituted off for a recent Hammers teammate of Mubama's in Marshall, amassing a lacklustre 14 touches too in a passive display from the Baggies number 21.
Minutes played
62
Goals scored
0
Shots on target
0
Touches
14
Duels won
0/6
Possession lost
14x
Signing the 19-year-old wouldn't have come without plenty of risks attached however, the main worry being whether or not Mubama could translate his lethal displays at youth level for West Ham to the cut and thrust of men's football in the Championship immediately.
But, the teenage star has showcased his knack of finishing off chances on impulse at senior level for the Londoners on the rare occasion he's been given an opportunity to impress.
Scoring in the Europa Conference League from off the bench last year against AEK Larnaca would come about for the West Ham number 72 despite only accumulating 16 touches of the ball, a short but sweet cameo resulting in Mubama netting his first-ever senior Hammers strike.
Corberan will stick by Thomas-Asante for the time being in the hope that these below-par performances don't become a regular occurrence, whilst Mubama will just continue to bang down the door at the London Stadium for more frequent first-team minutes after failing to land a loan move away.
