---
title: "Total Duds: Kenneth Zohore’s £8m move to West Brom has faltered badly after a bright start"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/total-duds-kenneth-zohores-8m-move-to-west-brom-has-faltered-badly-after-a-bright-start/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "Features"
published: "2020-05-09T15:00:18Z"
modified: "2020-05-09T15:00:18Z"
---

# Total Duds: Kenneth Zohore’s £8m move to West Brom has faltered badly after a bright start

**This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.**

Dwight Gayle proved a superb [loan acquisition](https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2018/august/gayle-arrives-at-the-hawthorns/) for West Brom last season, netting [24 times](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/dwight-gayle/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/196522) for the Baggies during his one-year spell away from Newcastle and being voted as the [Supporters’ Player of the Season](https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2019/april/albions-201819-award-winners/). After he [returned to his parent club](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/dwight-gayle/transfers/spieler/196522) last summer, he left a major void to be filled in attack.

West Brom’s attempts to fill that void saw them spend [£8m](https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/cardiff-city-striker-kenneth-zohore-16612974) on Kenneth Zohore, who had been relegated to the Championship with Cardiff after [scoring just once](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/kenneth-zohore/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/135213) in their 2018/19 Premier League campaign. That fee made him the Baggies’ [most expensive acquisition since their own relegation](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/west-bromwich-albion/transferrekorde/verein/984) from the top flight a year earlier, a significant show of faith in a player who had been given a tough act to follow.

The early signs suggested that Slaven Bilic knew what he was doing in bringing the Danish striker to the club. His [first goal came](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/kenneth-zohore/leistungsdaten/spieler/135213) in the 1-1 draw at home to Reading in August when he made a [telling impact off the bench](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3219938) and, three days later, he was restored to the starting line-up and [scored another late penalty](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3219931) to earn a point away to Derby.

If West Brom fans hoped that those two valuable goals would help Zohore to settle in at The Hawthorns, they would quickly be disappointed. While fellow strikers Hal Robson-Kanu and Charlie Austin [kept a steady supply of goals flowing](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/west-bromwich-albion/leistungsdaten/verein/984), the 26-year-old [found it hard to get his place](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/83621/MatchStatistics/Kenneth-Zohore) in the team and [failed to make the most](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/83621/MatchStatistics/Kenneth-Zohore) of the substitute appearances he was given.

A further setback came in the form of a [calf injury](https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2019/08/23/kenneth-zohore-to-be-assessed-for-calf-knock-ahead-of-west-broms-trip-to-derby/) in the autumn and a [two-goal showing in an under-23 game](https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/10/29/west-brom-show-off-kenneth-zohore-under-23s-brace-on-twitter/) in late October didn’t signal a triumphant return to the first team as he [continued to struggle for minutes and goals](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/83621/MatchStatistics/Kenneth-Zohore). His performance against Barnsley on Boxing Day, when he [touched the ball only seven times during his 30 minutes](https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1381667/LiveStatistics/England-Championship-2019-2020-Barnsley-West-Bromwich-Albion) on the pitch, was [savaged by some West Brom fans](https://www.footballfancast.com/championship/west-bromwich-albion/reaction-comments-quotes-twitter-reacts-zohore) on Twitter.

[Two goals in a week](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/kenneth-zohore/leistungsdaten/spieler/135213) against Charlton in early January, in [two different competitions](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/kenneth-zohore/leistungsdaten/spieler/135213), again offered hope that Zohore would catch fire but again proved to be nothing more than a false dawn. He was [pilloried by many Baggies fans](https://tbrfootball.com/west-brom-fans-react-as-kenneth-zohore-struggles-in-surprise-stoke-defeat/) after an ineffective display against Stoke and hasn’t played in the Championship [since the defeat to former club Cardiff](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/83621/MatchStatistics/Kenneth-Zohore) at the end of January.

While the Dane has been unlucky with injuries, a return of five goals in all competitions following an £8m investment represents an underachievement from the 26-year-old. If West Brom are to be promoted to the Premier League in the coming weeks, the striker could face a huge challenge in trying to prove his worth to Bilic at that level given his struggles in the second tier this season.

***West Brom fans, have you been disappointed with Zohore’s contribution since his £8m move last summer? Can you see him turning it around at The Hawthorns? Comment below with your views!***