Former West Bromwich Albion striker Kevin Phillips says it would be a “huge risk” for them to pursue Dundee United striker Lawrence Shankland in an interview with West Brom News.
Albion have been linked with a move for the striker although this speculation was dismissed by Dundee United boss Micky Mellon who stated there has been no contact from the Premier League side.
Shankland scored 28 goals in 33 appearances in all competitions last season as Dundee United won the Scottish Championship title and gained promotion to the top-flight.
Despite his clinical goalscoring record, Phillips believes it would be a huge step up from the Scottish second division to the Premier League and thinks it would be a big risk for West Brom.
“For me, it’s a risk,” Phillips said. “It’s a lot of to put on someone that’s only played regularly in the Scottish second-tier. Yes, he’s scored a lot of goals – but try and do that in the Premier League.”
“I know for a fact that West Brom aren’t going to create the number of chances they did in the Championship so you’re going to get limited chances to score.”
“It is a risk but you never know. If you get someone at the right price, they could come in and maybe go out on loan somewhere and play for a year in the Championship. Then, you might have a player on your hands,” he continued.
“To ask him to go from the Scottish second-tier to the Premier League is a huge risk.”
Phillips has hit the nail on the head here and is accurate in his views that the step up in quality from the Scottish division to English football is a huge leap.
West Brom are desperately in need of a striker with experience in English football and preferably in the Premier League.
