Southampton striker Shane Long would be an ideal signing for West Brom this month, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

The 88-cap international previously had a three-year spell at the Hawthorns between 2011 and 2014, and O'Rourke thinks the Baggies could benefit from him returning to the Midlands club.

How has Long fared this season?

Long has started just one league game for Ralph Hasenhuttl's side this term, and appears to be some way down the pecking order at the South Coast club who have Armando Broja, Adam Armstrong and Che Adams to call on up front.

The experienced forward spent the second half of last season on loan at Bournemouth, and it would not be a major surprise to see him make another mid-season move this year as well.

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What has O'Rourke said about Long?

O'Rourke believes the 35-year-old would be a good addition to the West Brom squad, and has claimed that he could aid the team's promotion push if he moved to the Championship outfit.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think somebody like a Shane Long would definitely fit the bill for West Brom right now if they are trying to get promotion back to the Premier League.”

Would Long be a good signing for West Brom?

Putting the ball in the back of the net has been West Brom's major issue this season. They have the best defensive record in the Championship but they have only scored 34 league goals - leaders Fulham have more than double this total (73).

The club may have thought that they'd fixed their goalscoring problem when they signed Daryl Dike at the start of the month, yet he has since picked up a muscle problem which will keep him out of action until March.

As a result, it has been reported that they could look to bring someone in on loan, and Long may be a decent option.

Although his goalscoring record in the Premier League is hardly an impressive one, he has flourished in the second tier before, netting 41 goals in 134 Championship appearances.

Long may be in the twilight of his career, but he could see this as an opportunity to prove that he still has something to offer, and he may be the player to help West Brom get back on track after a stuttering start to 2022. 

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