Baggies bide time over keeper

Published: Monday, 18. July, 2011 in category West Brom
Myhill: Currently Albion's number one

Boaz Myhill has been the man between the sticks on Albion's current tour of the USA, but dropped a clanger in a 2-1 defeat by the San Jose Earthquakes, letting keeper David Bingham's 90-yard kick bounce over his head.

Former number one and one-time captain Scott Carson has joined Turkish outfit Bursaspor, and sporting and technical director Dan Ashworth admits it is "no secret we need a goalkeeper".

But Ashworth and manager Roy Hodgson are in no rush to get a new stopper on board and are scouring the British and European market, with the likes of Robert Green, Ben Foster, Tomas Kuszczak and Romanian Costel Pantilimon linked with a move to The Hawthorns.

"It's no secret we need a goalkeeper," Ashworth told the Birmingham Mail. "My job is to explore every single opportunity both here and abroad.

"Perhaps some people are putting two and two together and getting five, given goalkeepers that are available in the UK.

"Green, Kuszczak, Foster and Shay Given have all been touted as it's their time to move whether it's because their clubs have been relegated, they are free to move or other keepers have come in.

"Yes, they are all top keepers but there are plenty out there in Europe.

"We need to get the best one we can get.

"We are closer to making a decision but all the sifting of information can take a long period of time, from finding out if clubs are willing to sell, willing to loan, are the players willing to come?

"It's a continual process, that's why transfers can take a long time.

"You have to get the right value and the best one out there.

"We have to make sure we don't overlook anyone and it can be a case of seeing who is the right one at any time."

Carson has moved on to pastures new after a relatively successful spell with the Baggies - and Ashworth insists he was simply ready for a new challenge.

"Scott was with us for two seasons and two of those seasons were successful for us," he added. "He played probably 98 per cent of those games.

"But it got to the stage where he had a year left.

"He was keen to have a new experience, he has a young family, there was an attraction of playing in Europe and it was the right time for both parties to move on. We got a good offer, he got a good offer and we all move on."