West Brom must beat Blackburn to sign the 15-goal star

West Bromwich Albion made their first move of the transfer window earlier this week when they confirmed that Max O’Leary has penned a new three-year contract at the club.

The former Bristol City striker joined the Baggies on a temporary contract in the January transfer window and his first contract was due to expire at the end of next month.

Now, O’Leary is locked up at The Hawthorns until the summer of 2029 and could be James Morrison’s first choice between the sticks heading into next season.

West Brom also need to add to their squad at the other end of the pitch, however, if they are to be in contention for promotion to the Championship next term.

The Baggies and Blackburn Rovers finished 21st and 20th, respectively, in the second tier this season and both need to be in the market to improve their options in the bottom three in the summer transfer window.

Why West Brom and Blackburn need to improve their attack

Both teams need to add to their attack because both are ranked among the five clubs with the fewest goals scored in the Championship in 46 games this season.

West Brom have scored just two goals per game, while Rovers have scored just 42 times in 46 games, while Sheffield Wednesday scored fewer.

The Baggies showed promise at times, beating Watford 3-0 under Morrison, but failed to deliver consistently at the other end of the pitch.

Aune Heggebo was the club’s top scorer in the Championship with nine goals to his name, while Yuki Ohashi topped the charts for Blackburn with a return of ten goals in 46 outings.

These figures suggest that both clubs should be looking to add to their ranks in the final third before the summer transfer window closes at the start of September, as they have not scored enough goals in the past nine months.

West Brom must beat Blackburn for the striker’s 15 goals

The two championship teams have already been linked in the hunt for a better midfielder than both Heggebo and Ohashi.

West Brom, Queens Park Rangers, and Blackburn have all been tipped as potential suitors for Lorient number nine Bamba Dieng ahead of the summer transfer window, as he will become a free agent at the end of June.

The 26-year-old striker, who is in Senegal’s provisional squad for this summer’s World Cup, is coming off the back of an impressive Ligue 1 season with Lorient, and could sign for either the Baggies or Rovers.

A return of ten goals from 15 starts in one of Europe’s biggest leagues is nothing to be sniffed at. He enjoyed a good campaign with the French team and will deserve a place in Senegal’s World Cup squad if he reaches the final stage.

Dieng has scored more goals in 15 Ligue 1 starts than Heggebo, who has scored nine goals in the Championship, managed in 37 starts in the second tier of English football.

The Lorient man also scored five goals in three cup games in the 2025/26 campaign, taking his tally to 15 in 25 games in all competitions, more than any Blackburn or West Brom player.

Dieng scored as many goals in the league as Ohashi, who also scored ten goals, but he did so playing at the highest level in one of Europe’s biggest divisions, and he did so in 23 starts for Japan’s bottom 9.

His form in Ligue 1 and in Lorient’s cup competitions suggests he is the goalscorer Blackburn and West Brom are missing in the 2025/26 campaign, and that he could be the man to lead their promotion charges next season.

At the age of 26, Dieng should be entering the prime of his career and this means that the Baggies or Rovers may benefit from a free transfer, which is why Morrison should push to win the race for his signature.