West Brom Sign Ideye for a Club Record Fee

Nigeria forward Brown Ideye has completed a club-record transfer to West Bromwich Albion from Dynamo Kiev.

The 25-year-old has agreed a a three-year contract, plus a further year’s extension option should the club choose to keep him, after completing his medical at the Hawthorn on Friday.

Ideye, whose fee surpasses the £5.5m Albion paid Sunderland for Stephane Sessegnon, 30, last summer, will wear the number nine shirt. It is believed the Premier League club paid £10m for the striker.

“Brown is a quality striker and I’m looking forward to working with him,” West Brom coach Alan Irvine said.

“He’s a strong, quick, powerful player who likes to get in behind defences and has plenty of Champions League and international experience.”

Brown Ideye Joins West Brom from Dynamo Kiev.
Brown Ideye Joins West Brom from Dynamo Kiev.

He becomes the fifth player to pen down for West Brom this summer following the recruitment of Craig Gardner, Joleon Lescott, Chris Baird and Sebastien Pocognoli.

Ideye will meet his new team-mates when they return from the club’s pre-season training camp in Sacramento, California, the club said.

The former Ocean Boys striker joined Dynamo Kiev from French Ligue 1 side Socchaux in 2011 and went on to score 34 goals in 74 league appearances during his three-year spell in the Ukrainian League.

He has been capped 24 times by the Super Eagles and has scored five goals.

He was a surprise omission from the African champions’ squad, which reached the second round of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.