West Brom have completed the signing of Rickie Lambert on a two-year-contract after swiftly concluding negotiations for the Liverpool striker.
It’s understood that the Baggies have paid just under £3million for the 33-year-old, meaning the Reds will make a loss of £1million on the player who only joined them from Southampton last summer.
The fee was agreed around lunchtime on Friday and Lambert travelled down to Birmingham for a medical ahead of the deal being completed late in the day.
His move to Liverpool 13 months ago was touted as a dream return for a player rejected by the club’s academy, but it quickly became apparent things were not going to work out and Lambert turned down a move to West Brom’s midlands rivals Aston Villa in January after the Reds accepted he was no longer part of manager Brendan Rodgers’ plans.
Earlier this week Baggies boss Tony Pulis went public with his admiration for Lambert.
“I think it is very important we get players who score goals and Rickie has a great goalscoring record,” he said.
“From what I can gather from people at Liverpool, his fitness levels are very good and he is desperate to play football.
“He didn’t play last year so it would be like bringing a brand new car out of the garage if you did sign him, just putting a bit of petrol in him and letting him run.”
At Stoke Pulis built a reputation for maximising the talents of big, strong front men alongside a willing runner and Lambert fits the mould of the former ideally with the manager no doubt hoping he can hang on to Saido Berahino in the face of interest from Tottenham.
