The Baggies find themselves securely positioned within the playoff pack, and their consistent form has fans dreaming of a potential return to the Premier League. This positive momentum fuels hopes among supporters that West Bromwich Albion can indeed make a comeback to the top flight.
However, if they do secure promotion, the club is likely to approach future spending with more caution, learning from past mistakes. Indeed, there remains a sour memory among those associated with West Bromwich Albion regarding a significant signing that failed to live up to expectations. This serves as a reminder for the club to be prudent in their transfer decisions as they strive for success in the Premier League.
Brown Ideye’s time at West Brom
Back in 2014, West Bromwich Albion must have felt they had secured a major coup with the signing of Nigerian center-forward Brown Ideye, especially considering his impressive goal-scoring record prior to joining the club. At the time, Ideye became the record purchase for West Bromwich Albion, commanding a transfer fee of £10 million.
Prior to his move to West Brom, Ideye had showcased his goal-scoring prowess while playing for Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine. Over the course of his time with Dynamo Kyiv, Ideye netted an impressive 42 goals from 103 games. These statistics likely played a significant role in West Brom’s decision to invest heavily in Ideye, with hopes that he would replicate his success in Ukraine in the Premier League.
Unfortunately, as subsequent events showed, Ideye’s time at West Bromwich Albion did not live up to expectations, and he struggled to make a significant impact during his tenure at the club. Despite his impressive goal-scoring record prior to joining West Brom, Ideye failed to replicate the same level of success in the Premier League.
It’s evident that Brown Ideye’s time at West Bromwich Albion did not live up to expectations, despite initial hopes that he would become a dominant force in the Premier League. Described as a “powerful” attacking force upon his arrival, Ideye struggled to consistently make an impact on the pitch, resulting in a disappointing return of just seven goals from 31 appearances, with only four of those goals coming in top-flight matches.
While he did experience a brief purple patch with five goals in February and March of his debut season, much of his time in the West Midlands was barren and frustrating, in contrast to this mini purple patch. The £10 million investment in Ideye appeared to be a significant waste of money at the time, and when considering the current inflated transfer market, the deal looks even more unfavorable in retrospect.
TotallyFootball’s Transfer Index sheds further light on the magnitude of the ill-fated deal by evaluating the most expensive transfers across Europe’s top five leagues since 1992 and calculating what footballers of yesteryear would be worth in the present day after taking into account the remarkable rate of inflation. This analysis underscores the financial impact of signings like Ideye’s in today’s terms, further emphasizing the disappointment surrounding his time at West Bromwich Albion.
Brown Ideye’s transfer value in 2024
If West Brom went about this deal again now, Ideye would cost Corberan and co an eye-watering £20.4m.
Consequently, Ideye would rise back up the rankings to become West Brom’s record arrival once more – beating past major signings such as Salomon Rondon and Nacer Chadli in the process.
| West Brom’s record arrivals – top five | |
|---|---|
| 1. Salomon Rondon | €17m (£14.5m) |
| 2. Karlan Grant | €16.5m (£14.1m) |
| 3. Nacer Chadli | €15.2m (£13m) |
| 4. Oliver Burke | €15.2m (£13m) |
| 5. Jay Rodriguez | €13.7m (£11.7m) |
| Sourced by Transfermarkt | |
The Baggies will hope they don’t splash the cash in a similar fashion to Ideye flopping and it backfiring if they do jump back up to the Premier League, with Corberan wanting to keep his tight-knit group of Jed Wallace, Kyle Bartley and other seasoned professionals together over flashier individuals.
Indeed, Brown Ideye did find success after leaving West Bromwich Albion, particularly during his time at Olympiacos in Greece, where he managed to score 28 goals in 65 games. His strong performances for Olympiacos showcased his abilities and demonstrated that he still had the potential to be a prolific goal scorer.
However, despite his success elsewhere, Ideye’s time at West Bromwich Albion will likely be remembered as a disappointment. His struggles to make a significant impact during his tenure at the club, coupled with the hefty price tag attached to his transfer, cement his status as a dud in the history books of the Championship promotion hopefuls.
While Ideye may have redeemed himself in other leagues and clubs, his inability to live up to expectations at West Bromwich Albion will forever taint his legacy with the club and those connected to it.
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