Valerien Ismael is expecting his West Bromwich Albion side to make further additions in the transfer market prior to deadline day at the beginning of next week.

What's been said?

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, the Frenchman revealed that he is relaxed regarding his search for a new centre-forward over what remains of the summer transfer window, and that he is confident Ken Xu Ke and Ian Pearce will be able to complete at least one more deal before next Tuesday's deadline.

Discussing Albion's potential signings, the 45-year-old said: "We know behind the scenes what we have to do. We try and we have some more days. We are calm. We don't need to rush as we know exactly what we want.

"My expectation is that we can do something until the end. You never know because it's always a difficult situation, but, behind the scenes, Ken and Ian Pearce have done a great job so far. We try to do everything to make sure we can get the right players."

Fans will be excited

While West Brom have started the season in incredibly impressive form under the leadership of Ismael, with the Baggies scoring a league-high 11 goals and picking up 10 points from their opening four Championship fixtures, these results should not mask the fact that the Frenchman is indeed lacking in depth in the centre-forward role.

At present, the 45-year-old can call upon Karlan Grant, Callum Robinson or Kenneth Zohore to play through the middle, however, with Grant and Robinson more suited to the wider attacking positions, and Zohore having bagged a less than impressive two Championship goals while on loan at Millwall last season, Ismael is hardly blessed with a wealth of talent up top.

As such, it would very much appear a necessity for Ismael to bring in a new striker this summer, as his current options are simply not enough to last what is sure to be a long and arduous Championship campaign, let alone to fire Albion to automatic promotion.

So, the fact that the Frenchman appears confident about getting a deal over the line for an incoming player before next Tuesday is sure to get West Brom fans excited, as, on the condition that the potential new signing is a proven goalscorer, it could well be the final piece of the 45-year-old's Baggies jigsaw.

In other news: Ismael must unleash "quality" 6ft 4 West Brom colossus tonight, he'd terrify Arsenal