According to The Daily Mail, West Brom are lining up a bid for Newcastle centre-back Ciaran Clark. 

The Baggies are looking to bolster their defence this January, but must equally be cautious with regards to their expenditure given their poor financial state.

Therefore, every signing should be fastidiously studied to see whether they will actually be a benefit to the club, and in the case of the Republic of Ireland international, he may not be as beneficial as the club may wish.

The trouble is that a few West Brom defenders have come under attack so far this season, particularly Kyle Bartley and Craig Dawson. Both are solid defenders, but their passing ability and distribution has been vehemently criticised, as well as Dawson's immobility.

However, while Clark is equally a decent defender, he is not particularly renowned for being comfortable with the ball at his feet. Without this trait, it seems like he would be a wasted transfer. It is debatable whether he is a better defender than Dawson or Bartley- perhaps people would argue that he is- but he is not enough to make this a transfer that would noticeably improve The Baggies' squad.

Manager Darren Moore wants defenders that can play the ball, allowing the attack to start from deep and unleash their lethal attack. But he will also be acutely aware that only Aston Villa have conceded more goals than them in the top ten, and they are another club that have had difficulty with their defence this season.