West Brom have set their focus on bolstering their attack this summer, doing so with the signings of winger Jeremy Sarmiento on loan from Brighton and striker Josh Maja on a free transfer from Bordeaux.
With that said, the Baggies have neglected other areas of their squad as demonstrated by their struggles defensively, conceding five goals in their first three Championship games.
The departure of star centre-back Dara O'Shea to Burnley in June, without replacing him, has been the main reason for their downfall, but news has thankfully emerged that Carlos Corberan is chasing a replacement for the Republic of Ireland international.
What is the latest West Brom transfer news?
Looking to improve upon their leaky defence, West Brom are believed to be chasing a move for former Reading centre-back Liam Moore, who departed the club this summer following the expiry of his contract, as per FootballTransfers.
Despite showing promise earlier on in this career, Moore's time at Reading was blighted by injury setbacks, although he still managed to make 219 appearances in the Championship for the Royals, scoring eight goals.
With the 30-year-old returning to full fitness and ready for his next challenge, this has piqued the interest of clubs in the second tier, so those at the Hawthorns will need to act fast if they want to secure Moore's signature.
Should West Brom sign Liam Moore?
Even though he suffered several injuries at Reading, signing Moore on a free transfer would be a relatively low-risk move with potentially high rewards.
After departing Leicester in 2016 following their miraculous Premier League title triumph, the "super" 6 foot 1 centre-back, as dubbed by Paul Ince, has since excelled at Championship level, becoming a stalwart at the heart of the Royals defence.
He featured 40 times during the 2016/17 season as Reading reached the play-off final, losing to Huddersfield Town on penalties before making at least 38 appearances in each of the three seasons that followed.
With his relentless consistency, tremendous defensive capabilities and organisational skills coming to light during this period, Moore was rewarded for his performances by picking up the club's coveted Player of the Season award in 2018 – but Reading's star defender was hungry for more success.
A move to the Premier League was his dream and in his attempts to facilitate that, Moore handed in a transfer request. But despite the best efforts of Brighton, who were keen to prize him away from the club, Reading held firm in their valuation of the player.
Five years on and Moore remains without a club but during his best seasons in Berkshire, the centre-back's key defensive metrics imply that he could be an ideal replacement for O'Shea.
According to FBref, the veteran's stats across the 2021/22 season rank high when compared to other Championship defenders, particularly with his tackling, interceptions and threat from set-pieces.
With that said, Moore ranked in the top 3% for shots blocked (1.29), top 8% for blocks (1.55), top 15% for short passes completed and top 7% for non-penalty goals (0.10) having scored twice in 17 appearances.
Although when compared against O'Shea's stats from last season, it's clear to see why a Premier League club came calling, with the Republic of Ireland international recording 4.24 aerials won, 1.81 interceptions, 54.05 passes completed and 3.84 progressive passes, all per 90 via FBRef.
While the loss of O'Shea is a huge void to fill, former Reading boss Paul Ince did offer words of encouragement in February when Moore was waiting patiently to make his return.
He said: “His numbers have been absolutely fantastic."
If Moore can recapture the form he showed earlier on in his Reading career, he could prove to be a bargain signing for the Baggies.
