West Brom have been dealt a major blow entering into 2024.
West Brom have seen attacker Jeremy Sarmiento recalled by Brighton and sent out on loan to top six rivals Ipswich Town.
It’s a major blow for Carlos Corberan who already has Matt Phillips sidelined, with fellow attackers Josh Maja and Daryl Dike out, and both Grady Diangana and now Brandon Thomas-Asante potentially heading to AFCON this month.
And it’s a surprising move too.
Sarmiento has been working his way into the West Brom XI in recent weeks having started six out of eight Championship games in December, and impressing in games against the likes of Cardiff City where he scored the winner.
The 21-year-old scored twice in 20 Championship outings for West Brom and would no doubt have played plenty of football in the coming weeks given injuries and unavailable players.
Joe Chapman says Jeremy Sarmiento’s West Brom loan was a ‘mixed bag’
Birmingham Live journalist Joe Chapman has now rated Sarmiento’s loan spell at The Hawthorns.
Speaking to Sussex World, he said of the Colombian’s loan spell:
“It’s been a mixed bag. Sarmiento joined on the back of a year of struggle with injury and that was factored in. Because he had no pre-season, Albion and the fans had to be patient. He started the season with a string of cameos and he scored a fine goal in the win over Middlesbrough. His cameos were very exciting – Sarmiento’s style of play gets you off your seat.
“That meant that the calls for him to start grew louder. When he did start, against Millwall, he couldn’t replicate in a sustained period what he had been able to do in bursts. Then, fitness came under the spotlight – because Sarmiento hadn’t played much for Brighton before joining, it proved to be too much too soon and he suffered a quad injury which stopped him in his tracks. Since returning, Sarmiento has made an impact. He scored a wonder goal to clinch a win at Cardiff, too.
“With the ball at his feet, he’s unpredictable. He’s able to shift the ball quickly and turn full-backs inside out. Because he’s not lightning-quick but is a very capable dribbler, he often drifts inside. That’s where the Cardiff goal came from. Sarmiento works very hard off the ball, too. I just think he needs to sometimes produce a better quality end product, be that from a shot or a cross – but as we saw at Cardiff, he can produce. It just needs to be the case more often.”
West Brom January priorities have just grown
As if Corberan and West Brom weren’t already in need of attacking players, the club now has to deal with finding a replacement for Sarmiento.
He undoubtedly played an important role in the side and would’ve done so again in the second half of the season, but with finances remaining tight amidst this ongoing takeover process, West Brom could look inwards for some temporary replacements; although Sarmiento was inconsistent, like Chapman says, he’s certainly a player with class and potential going forward and he’ll surely thrive at Ipswich Town.
Jovan Malcolm has just been recalled and he looks set to potentially feature against Aldershot Town in the FA Cup this weekend, though names like Reyes Cleary could also be in line for some game time in the coming weeks as Corberan looks for depth in his attack.
Though expect the Baggies to still do whatever they can in the transfer market, with loans looking likely.
With Corberan in charge and West Brom playing good football, the club will continue to remain an attractive place for Premier League clubs to send their youngsters, so expect the Baggies to potentially bring in some exciting players on loan this month.
Sunday’s game vs Aldershot Town in the FA Cup kicks off at 2pm.