West Bromwich Albion midfielder John Swift has taken to Twitter to express his delight at signing on the dotted line at The Hawthorns, following confirmation of his arrival on Thursday evening.
The 26-year-old has signed a three-year deal at The Hawthorns following his arrival from Reading, with his contract at the Select Car Leasing Stadium expiring in the summer and the Royals unable to offer him a bumper deal because of their financial restrictions.
With Premier League interest in his signature and the Berkshire outfit finishing just one place above the drop zone at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, he was always expected to leave after recording 11 goals and 13 assists in 38 league matches last term, playing a crucial part in keeping the club afloat in the Championship.
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Despite being linked with the Baggies, some were shocked to see the advanced midfielder sign on the dotted line for Bruce’s side considering he was heavily linked with a top-tier transfer in the past year.
However, Albion harbour ambitions of returning to the top flight and have been linked with some of the second tier’s best free agents, with Joe Rothwell, Darragh Lenihan, Jed Wallace and Tom Lawrence all rumoured to be on the West Midlands side’s radar.
Swift is the first and only signing of this summer though – and he expressed his excitement at the prospect of gracing The Hawthorns turf.
He tweeted: “Delighted to have signed for this great club and excited for the next three years, looking forward to getting pre-season starting and getting my first game at The Hawthorns. See you all soon.”
The Verdict:
This is a great signing for the Baggies and he will certainly go a long way in solving their attacking woes, as long as he can stay fit.
With Alex Mowatt not having the season he would have wanted to in front of goal, bringing in Swift will help to solve their shortage of attacking firepower in midfield and he will be able to contribute heavily if he’s played in an advanced midfield role.
Rothwell would also be a good signing in terms of adding more goals from midfield, with Lawrence and Wallace good options to have on the wing. Karlan Grant should take up one spot though with Daryl Dike up front, so having one wide man come in would be sufficient with Callum Robinson and Grady Diangana also available.
Swift will make a big difference by himself though, being the link between the midfield and attack and the fact he can contribute heavily to their cause is perhaps one reason why he decided to sign for the Baggies.
Whether Albion can return to the top tier at the first time of asking remains to be seen – but if they can continue making good signings – they have every chance of being in the promotion mix next term.
