West Brom could finally replace Palmer in swoop for “exceptional” EFL star
West Bromwich Albion lost one of their key players in the January transfer window when they sold number one Alex Palmer to Ipswich for a reported £5m.
The English stopper started the first 30 matches of the Championship campaign and kept 11 clean sheets, whilst saving 74% of the shots against his goal.
Instead of dipping into the market to source a replacement for the 28-year-old star, West Brom opted to utilise Joe Wildsmith and Josh Griffiths, which did not go to plan.
Why West Brom need a new goalkeeper
Wildsmith played the first ten matches in the league after Palmer’s move to the Premier League, and conceded 0.95 more than expected based on the xG against him.
He was dropped from the side by Tony Mowbray, though, after the error for the goal above, as he failed to keep out a free-kick from Trai Hume that appeared saveable, certainly from the angle behind the goal.
Griffiths then came into the side and conceded 2.11 more goals than expected and only saved 59% of the shots against his goal in his six appearances in the Championship, conceding 1.8 goals per game on average.
This shows that neither of them were able to replace Palmer’s quality or consistency in the second half of the season, which is why the Baggies should turn to reported transfer target Angus Gunn.
Why West Brom should sign Angus Gunn
SportsBoom recently reported that West Brom are one of a number of Championship clubs eyeing up the Scotland international after it was confirmed that he will be a free agent this summer.
The 29-year-old star is leaving boyhood club Norwich City at the end of his current contract, and the Baggies should swoop to secure a bargain signing.
Gunn, once dubbed “exceptional” by Joe Hart, would arrive as a proven Championship performer who could hit the ground running as an experienced signing, allowing him to nail down the number one position.
| Angus Gunn (Championship) | 22/23 | 23/24 | 24/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 30 | 40 | 34 |
| Clean sheets | 7 | 11 | 7 |
| Save percentage | 72% | 69% | 67% |
| Post-shot xG minus goals conceded | +8.2 | +4.6 | -3.6 |
| Error led to goal | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Stats via FBref & Sofascore | |||
As you can see in the table above, Gunn has only made one error that directly led to a goal in his three seasons in the Championship with the Canaries since their relegation from the Premier League in the 2021/22 campaign.
He has also been a net positive as a shot-stopper in that time, preventing 9.2 more goals than expected based on the post-shot xG of the shots against him, which suggests that Gunn could be an impressive operator for the Baggies if he can get back to his best after a difficult year.
The Scotland international showcased his quality against West Brom towards the end of the season, though, with this exceptional save in the clip above.
Now, Gunn could be making those kind of match-winning saves for the Baggies if the club can wrap up a bargain deal for the EFL star on a free transfer to finally replace Palmer as a quality number one option at Championship level next season.
