Premier League: Berahino hoping for new lease of life at Stoke after West Brom debacle

One of the most intriguing transfer sagas in recent memory finally came to an end on Friday when Stoke completed the capture of Saido Berahino from West Bromwich Albion. Remarkably, the deal looked dead in the water in the morning, only for Mark Hughes and Tony Pulis to agree on a fee of £12m plus £3m in potential bonuses in the afternoon.

Despite the impasse that followed since Tottenham had two deadline day offers turned down in August 2015 and the 23-year-old reacting angrily to not getting his desired move, this has been an odd type of transfer saga. It has been devoid of the usual back and forth between player and club in the media and instead marked largely by indifference by both parties. There was a realisation that Berahino, who hasn’t kicked a ball in anger since September, was always going to leave and that the club effectively replaced him with Salomon Rondon two years ago. It was a slow-burn dissociation, like a doomed marriage sadly heading towards its logical conclusion but without the animosity that usually marks these kinds of things.

The transfer and the controversy surrounding it will understandably raise the usual questions about player power and its effects on modern football. Certainly Berahino was ill-advised for saying he would never play for West Brom again but on a human level, it’s not hard to see why a 22-year-old, coming off the back of his best season as a professional would want to push through a move to Spurs, where young English talents are all the rage and are one of the best teams in the country. West Brom surely have to shoulder some blame for the manner he was treated, from leaving him on the bench and then a demotion to the development squad; there seemed a concerted effort to not re-integrate him into the squad. Both parties could have handled the situation far better than they did.

Beyond all the finger pointing and off-field distractions, however, there’s a reason Hughes and Stoke City made Berahino a top priority target and that is because of his immense talent. Before seemingly losing his cool, Berahino was a reliable goalscorer, with 20 goals in 45 appearances during the 2014/15 season. In 2015/16, he scored a trio of crucial goals early in the season before scoring a double in an FA Cup tie against Peterborough to force a replay. His last goal for West Brom was a delightful volley against Crystal Palace last February.

Stoke have scored just 28 goals in 22 matches this season, and with misfiring strikers in the squad, Hughes could definitely use someone of Berahino’s quality. Peter Crouch has led the line admirably with three goals since his December recall but he turns 36 on January 30 and cannot be relied on in every game. Hughes’ search for a Crouch replacement is well publicised: from Mame Biram Diouf, Joselu and Wilfried Bony, the Stoke manager has tried and failed to recruit a dependable goalscorer. Instead he has been forced to recall his ageing star, and there was something particularly primal about watching Crouch score against Sunderland from a deep cross by Charlie Adam.

Berahino could fit in with Crouch upfront as part of a small man-big man combination, reprising a role the former England international pulled off to devastating effect with Jermain Defoe at Portsmouth and Spurs. The 23-year-old could also be a lone centre forward in a 4-3-3 flanked by Xherdan Shaqiri and Marko Arnautovic on either side as part of a fluid and dynamic front three. In his last competitive appearance of any sort, a 3-3 draw with Aston Villa’s development squad, Berahino grabbed a brace that served as a reminder of his abilities as a composed and natural finisher. He’s capable of making intelligent runs and is equally adept at bringing his teammates into play.

Thus, this transfer represents the rarest of things in football: one where all parties involved get what they want. West Brom have £12m potentially rising to £15m for a player out of contract in the summer, Berahino gets a new lease of life and an opportunity to get his career back on track after a difficult couple of years. Stoke finally got their man, a potential England international still young enough to be a world-beater and sold on at a healthy profit if his upward trajectory resumes. For once, everyone goes home happy.

There are concerns about the supposed baggage that comes with signing Berahino, with many mentioning a bust-up with teammates in 2014, pictures of him inhaling nitrous oxide in the same year and a driving ban in 2015 after admitting a drink-driving charge. But beyond the drink driving conviction and a few ill-advised social media posts, Berahino remains a well-behaved and good-natured professional and would have been afforded the benefit of the doubt were it not for the circumstances surrounding his Hawthorns exit.

With the past two years now firmly behind him, Berahino can now look forward to rediscovering his old form at a club where he is truly loved, and as he said during his unveiling, it’s time to make new memories; memories good enough to warrant a recall to the England set-up.