West Bromwich Albion's squad situation at this point in time is less than ideal, with injuries mounting up, a number of first-team players leaving for the African Cup of Nations soon and now the development of Jeremy Sarmiento being recalled hitting the Baggies square in the face.
The news of Sarmiento returning to Brighton would have stung even more knowing that the Seagulls were just preparing to offload their South American winger out again to Ipswich Town, the Tractor Boys benefiting from West Brom's dire predicament.
Carlos Corberan won't move away from utilising the loan market completely this January however, with the West Midlands side interested in securing another loan move according to reports to attempt to soften the blow of Sarmiento exiting.
West Brom transfer latest – another loan deal
TEAMtalk have recently reported that the promotion-chasing Baggies are going after Dexter Lembikisa in January, the current Rotherham United man excelling with the Millers away from parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan.
Yet, West Brom could come in this month and offer Lembikisa a better loan move where he could help Corberan's men clinch promotion to the Premier League instead of playing his part in Rotherham staving off relegation.
The Championship playoff hopefuls aren't the only interested party though, with TEAMTalk further elaborating that Middlesbrough and Ipswich are also keen whilst the Tractor Boys' arch nemesis Norwich City have joined the queue too for his services.
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West Brom will hope they can land Lembikisa to get a tetchy Baggies fanbase back on side, the masses at the Hawthorns growing increasingly worried at the threadbare nature of the squad before them.
Dexter Lembikisa's style of play
Lembikisa would push the likes of Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend all the way on his arrival to the West Midlands to stake a claim for a first-team spot, equally adept at playing down both flanks as an adaptable full-back presence.
The current Millers man is also more than capable of venturing forward and playing further up the field if needed, scoring once so far this campaign for Rotherham under the previous tenure of Matt Taylor by confidently firing home on the volley against Norwich City.
Lembikisa's form has taken somewhat of a nosedive in recent weeks, as his Rotherham side continue to struggle to beat the drop, but Taylor showered the explosive 20-year-old with praise after that stunning strike – the ex-Millers boss describing Lembikisa as 'outstanding' when speaking to BirminghamLive.
Wolves pathways manager Steve Davis also described the Jamaican full-back as a 'confident boy' via the Premier League club's website when Lembikisa joined the Millers, the young defender hoping he can excel with a team higher up the Championship if rumours are correct and justify the confidence he possesses in his own ability too.
West Brom need all the bodies they can get into the building at this moment in time – and in Lembikisa – the Baggies would get a raw, exciting talent that could see the second-tier side go from being passive in games to suddenly upping the tempo and terrifying teams.
Losing Sarmiento will hurt those at the Hawthorns for the time being, but by signing this exciting 20-year-old defender this month, could get the ball rolling with many more purchases coming in after to breathe life back into a depleted West Brom group.
