Looking to bolster his attacking options, West Brom manager Tony Pulis brought in Arsenal’s Serge Gnabry on loan for the 2015/16 season.
Viewed as one of the Gunners’ most promising talents, West Brom supporters could not hide their excitement once the German arrived at the Hawthorns.
@WBAFCofficial @SergeGnabry @Arsenal pleased with this signing
— David Martin Feasey (@david_feasey) August 7, 2015
@WBAFCofficial @SergeGnabry @Arsenal class signing!!! Buzzing for the season!!
— Jack (@Ihatepe0ple__) August 7, 2015
https://twitter.com/Andysarge1/status/629695698225733632
@WBAFCofficial Cracking signing that, COYB!
— Ryan Clifford 𓅪 (@RyanWba93) August 7, 2015
@WBAFCofficial @SergeGnabry @Arsenal cracking signing
— Josh Beck 𓅪 (@joshiebeck) August 7, 2015
@WBAFCofficial @SergeGnabry @Arsenal he is now officially my favourite German sorry Becker #wba
— James Hamilton (@JamesHamiltonGK) August 7, 2015
Unfortunately for those supporters, though, Gnabry made little impact despite all of the expectation that came with his transfer.
The 23-year-old made just one Premier League appearance under Pulis before returning back to Arsenal early after having his loan move cut short.
Since then, however, Gnabry has had quite the ascension with the Arsenal youth product now playing his football in Germany with European giant and current Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
On top of finding himself lining up alongside the likes of Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski, Gnabry has also been sharing the pitch with other world-class players on the international stage with the attacking midfielder now a full Germany international.
Considering all of that, it is hard trying to understand why it went so wrong for Gnabry at West Brom. The Pulis factor is, of course, one thing to strongly consider.
The current Middlesbrough boss is known for playing a style of football that is not exactly easy on the eye. It is a style that involves the team sitting deep and constantly using direct balls to attack the opposition, creating an environment probably not suitable for a flair player such as Gnabry.
Whatever the reason, Gnabry’s loan move to West Brom ended up being a waste of time for everyone, though it could have gone down so differently given the ability the Bayern Munich man possesses.
