Journalist Luke Hatfield has claimed West Brom will have to ‘wait and see’ if manager Valerien Ismael makes a move for Toulouse striker Rhys Healey in the upcoming January transfer window.

The Baggies are likely to be searching for extra firepower next month as they look to maintain their promotion push, with Ismael’s charges currently sitting in third place in the Championship table.

What’s the current situation with the Baggies’ strikers?

Despite West Brom’s lofty position, they’ve often found sticking the ball in the back of the opposition net rather difficult throughout 2021/22, scoring just 30 goals in their 23 league outings following the goalless scoreline against Barnsley.

That figure is the lowest total amongst the top five clubs and even fewer than 12th-placed Luton Town, highlighting their woes in the final third of the pitch.

Star striker Karlan Grant is the Midlands outfit's top scorer this term with nine goals, but his respectable tally is far fewer than that of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ben Brereton Diaz and Dominic Solanke, who are firing their rivals up the table.

As a result, TEAMtalk recently reported that West Brom are one of several sides closely monitoring Healey’s progress ahead of a potential move this winter.

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ENTER GIVEAWAY

The Athletic then claimed it would take upwards of £5 million to prise the 27-year-old away from the south of France after he bagged 13 goals in 20 appearances for the Ligue 2 outfit.

It’s little surprise then, that Ismael and co. are believed to be keeping close tabs on the prolific forward’s situation, but Hatfield is unsure whether the French-German tactician will make a formal offer in January.

What did Hatfield say about West Brom’s striker hunt?

Asked about the viability of a move for Healey, the former Express & Star journalist told GiveMeSport: “With Healey, I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens, if anything transpires.

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“I'm not sure if they're in for him, I'm not sure if they’re not. But yeah, it's a hard window to work in, and that's what Ismael and Albion have to do.”

Would this represent smart business?

After embarking on a nomadic career throughout the lower echelons of English football, Healey joined Toulouse back in August 2020 from MK Dons.

Since crossing the channel, the 5 foot 9 gem has established himself as one of the French second-tier’s leading marksmen, racking up 28 goals and six assists in just 56 outings for Les Violets.

Healey, who shares the same agency as four other Baggies players including Taylor Gardner-Hickman, has played a pivotal part in their rise to second place in Ligue 2 and his reported £5m price tag would, therefore, represent good value for money for any interested party.

Whether West Brom follow up their apparent interest with a concrete bid remains to be seen, but it’s something Ismael should carefully consider as he plots a way back to the Premier League.