“West Brom’s Jaw-Dropping Escape from Transfer DISASTER with Leicester City Will Leave You Speechless!”

West Bromwich Albion, led by Tony Pulis, entered their seventh consecutive Premier League campaign in 2016, having secured a 14th-place finish the previous season under the Welshman’s pragmatic leadership.

Pulis was well-known for preferring tall, physical players—especially up front—so it wasn’t a surprise when the Baggies were linked with a move for Islam Slimani during the summer transfer window of 2016.

At the time, the Algerian striker was making waves at Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.

In hindsight, however, West Brom may count themselves fortunate that the deal never materialised, especially given how poorly Slimani fared after his eventual move to England with Leicester City.

West Brom dodged a bullet with the failed Slimani deal

Back in the summer of 2016, reports suggested that West Brom were in pole position to sign Slimani, fending off competition from top-flight rivals like Arsenal and West Ham.

But instead of heading to The Hawthorns, the striker joined newly crowned Premier League champions Leicester City, who shelled out £29 million to secure his services.

What followed was far from what the Foxes had envisioned. Slimani, despite scoring twice on his debut against Burnley, quickly faded.

He managed only two more goals before the Christmas break and ended the campaign with a disappointing tally of nine goals across all competitions, as Leicester slipped to a 12th-place finish.

His playing style didn’t align with Claudio Ranieri’s approach, and the hefty price tag appeared to weigh him down.

Slimani’s second season in England was even less impressive, featuring in just 12 Premier League matches.

He found the net once—against Huddersfield—before being loaned out to Newcastle United in January. Leicester fans had seen enough, and Slimani’s time at the King Power Stadium was widely deemed a flop.

Albion thrived without Slimani’s arrival

Despite missing out on their primary forward target, West Brom still enjoyed a solid season under Pulis.

The club found success through a collective team effort, with striker Salomon Rondon topping the club’s scoring charts for a second consecutive campaign by netting eight goals.

Defensive contributions were also vital, particularly from Gareth McAuley, who chipped in with six goals of his own.

Alongside Craig Dawson and Jonny Evans, McAuley was instrumental in exploiting set-piece situations—an area where Pulis teams traditionally thrived.

Without spending big on Slimani, West Brom managed to finish in the top half of the table, demonstrating that their decision not to overcommit financially on a risky signing had paid off.

Had the deal gone through, Slimani could have proven to be a financial drain on the club.

Although West Brom were eventually relegated from the Premier League a year later—perhaps due to the absence of a consistent, high-quality striker—the club avoided the long-term burden of trying to offload a high-cost player who failed to deliver.

In that sense, their failed pursuit of Slimani turned out tobe a blessing in disguise.