Why West Brom’s £12m Rodriguez bid makes sense for everyone

West Bromwich Albion have reportedly opened talks with Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez.

If personal terms are agreed, then it’s believed a move could be done for £12m.

And it’s a rare case where a transfer makes sense for all three parties.

For West Brom, it will solve their lack of a proper goalscoring striker with a man who shone by netting 15 times in the 2013-14 season.

On their current roster is Hal-Robson Kanu who, for all of his exploits at the 2016 Euros, has never been a prolific scorer.

And Solomon Rondon has yet to reach double figures in his two seasons with the Baggies.

For Rodriguez, it gives him the chance to kick-start a career cruelly thwarted by injuries and a lack of first-team opportunities.

He was fit for most of last season, but couldn’t force himself into the reckoning under Claude Puel.

Rodriguez spent the early part of the campaign playing second fiddle to Charlie Austin.

But when the former Queens Park Rangers striker was ruled out for the campaign last December, Rodriguez got his chance.

The 27-year-old made five of his nine Premier League starts in the weeks following Austin’s absence, but then Manolo Gabbiadini arrived in January.

Rodriguez was quickly forced to resume his role on the bench, making just two starts in the final 16 games of the season.

Even more damning though, is that in 11 of those fixtures, the Englishman totalled just 36 minutes of playing time.

And with Austin set to return in time for next season, Rodriguez’s first-team chances on the South Coast look slimmer than ever.

So for Southampton, it means they can head into the new season with both Austin and Gabbiadini, while also cashing in on a handy £12m for their third-choice striker.

See, it makes sense to everyone – and that doesn’t happen often.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing