West Bromwich Albion's players will be looking to make considerable strides in terms of their match fitness this weekend when they head to Vicarage Road on Saturday to face Watford in their latest pre-season friendly.
The Hornets are set to replace the Baggies in the Premier League next season and will unquestionably provide Valerien Ismael's side with a tough test on Saturday.
Drafted in as Sam Allardyce's successor, Ismael will be hoping to bring a feel-good factor back to The Hawthorns later this year by guiding West Brom to an encouraging start to the 2021/22 Championship campaign.
The Frenchman has already bolstered his squad by making two signings and was linked with a move this morning for an individual who featured regularly in the Premier League last season.
A report by Football Insider suggested that West Brom were lining up a swoop for Sheffield United forward David McGoldrick.
The Blades are understood to be open to the possibility of the 33-year-old leaving this summer with his current contract set to expire next year.
Although he was unable to prevent his side from suffering relegation to the Championship, McGoldrick did manage to illustrate some signs of promise in the top-flight during the previous campaign as he netted eight goals and provided one assist in 35 appearances.
In a fresh update concerning the forward's future, West Brom's stance regarding a potential swoop has become clearer.
According to Express & Star journalist Joseph Masi, the Baggies are not interested in securing the services of McGoldrick.
Therefore, if United are indeed looking to cash in on the forward, they will now need to find another club who are willing to negotiate a deal with West Brom no longer in the running for his signature.
GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...
Whilst there is no doubting McGoldrick's talent, it could be argued that signing him at this stage of his career would have been a risk and thus it may turn out to be a wise decision by the Baggies to take this particular transfer stance.
Furthermore, when you consider that the forward reportedly earns £28,846-per-week at Bramall Lane, his arrival would have had a significant impact on West Brom's wage budget.
Although the Baggies do have the likes of Karlan Grant, Kenneth Zohore and Callum Robinson at their disposal, it wouldn't be a shock if Ismael opts to strengthen his options up-front between now and the end of the transfer window.
By swooping for a young player who possesses the talent needed to succeed at this level, the West Brom boss may spark a positive reaction from the aforementioned trio who could step up their performance levels next season.
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