Ideye cleared to join Baggies

04 August 2014 04:16

West Brom's club-record signing Brown Ideye will finally link up with his new Baggies team-mates this week after confirming his visa issues have been resolved.

Nigeria striker Ideye signed for Albion just over a fortnight ago for a fee believed to be around £10million, but has been forced to wait in his homeland whilst the matter was cleared.

But via his Twitter account the former Dynamo Kiev forward said: "So happy to announce my Visa has been issued. Will join the team ASAP."

Albion head coach Alan Irvine has described Ideye, who put pen to paper on a three-year deal with an option for a fourth season, as "strong, quick and powerful".

Ideye, however, will now have to integrate himself quickly into the squad ahead of Albion's Barclays Premier League season-opener at home against Sunderland on August 16.

Irvine, meanwhile, is confident of winning a Football Association appeal hearing into a work permit for Cristian Gamboa.

Costa Rica international Gamboa has already agreed personal terms with the Baggies and passed a medical, but his move from Rosenborg has been delayed after failing the required criteria for a permit.

Although Gamboa played in all five of Costa Rica's matches during the World Cup, the 24-year-old falls just short of appearing in 75 per cent of his country's games over the last two years.

Irvine, however, believes the FA panel will be reasonable once they hear Albion's argument on the player's behalf.

"We're not in control, it's out of our hands, but I think it would be amazing if we didn't get this one over the line," said Irvine on the club's official website.

"Cristian has played just over 70 per cent of the games for his country, but they've factored into those figures a non-Fifa ranked tournament which his club (Rosenborg) stopped him going to.

"They kept Cristian back to play in some league games."

The club are also on the brink of concluding a move for Australia left-back Jason Davidson.

The Baggies have had to wait patiently for Davidson to resolve a contract dispute with Dutch Eredivisie club Heracles Almelo.

Davidson, who played in Australia's three World Cup group matches, believed he had finished his contract with Heracles and had become a free agent.

Heracles, however, informed Davidson they had triggered a one-year option on that deal and he was still their player.

Albion now appear to be closing in on a resolution and talks over terms and a medical are scheduled to go ahead this week.

Source: PA