Steve Bruce is seemingly making serious moves to secure a new striker for West Bromwich Albion…

What’s the word?

According to Alan Nixon (via Patreon), the Baggies boss has identified Manchester City starlet Liam Delap as his main transfer target.

With Daryl Dike expected to be out until after the World Cup, Bruce has been vocal in his need for attacking reinforcements.

However, the Cityzens are only willing to let the forward leave on loan, having rejected a £16m bid from Southampton earlier this summer. A loan move suits West Brom, who are just desperate to get anyone through the door. 

Bruce needs him now

When discounting the near-forgotten Kenneth Zohore, who hasn't played for the first team for almost a full year now, Karlan Grant is currently the only recognised senior striker available to Albion, so Bruce’s side are hugely threadbare up top.

Although he managed a respectable 18 goals in 44 appearances last season, he cannot be relied upon solely throughout the new campaign.

Bringing in a younger foil for him in Delap, who has scored goals at every level in which he has featured, could be a stroke of genius for a Baggies side which has been decidedly toothless and currently sit 20th in the Championship table.

West Brom need goals very soon if they are to realise their dreams of returning to the Premier League, and the Man City youngster brings just that. Having scored 47 goals across his 68-game career, albeit largely in youth football, he has very much been a standout performer.

His eight goals in just ten Premier League 2 matches last season, following on from a 24-goal haul in just 20 games in the previous campaigns, suggests that he is ready for a prolonged chance in senior football.

He is, in every sense of the word used by Pep Guardiola, a “finisher”, and that's just what West Brom need. Having scored just three goals in as many games, conceding four, the need for a reliable scorer at The Hawthorns is evident.

It is no wonder that Guardiola has been so vocal in his praise of him, labelling the 6 foot 1 England under-19s forward “an exceptional striker”.

Bruce needs whoever he can get right now in terms of a new striker, but to land this highly-rated 19-year-old from the English champions could spark a huge turnaround in what has been a dismal start to West Brom's season.