London (AFP) – West Bromwich Albion have signed Jay Rodriguez from Premier League rivals Southampton, the England striker’s new club confirmed Sunday.
The 27-year-old has long been linked with a move to The Hawthorns and West Brom chose an unusual away to confirm the deal.
Responding to a tweet from a fan asking if they had signed anyone ahead of the new season, Midlands club Albion replied with a four-second clip of Rodriguez saying “yes we have”.
Southampton said they had received an undisclosed fee for Rodriguez who made 126 appearances for them after joining from Burnley in 2012.
But while his time with the south-coast club saw Rodriguez make his England debut in a friendly against Chile in November 2013, it also saw him sidelined for 11 months with a knee injury that ruled him out of the 2014 World Cup.
“After one or two near misses I’m absolutely buzzing to be here,” Rodriguez said.
“The most important thing for any player is to be wanted — and Tony Pulis and Albion have made it clear just how much they have wanted me to join. That’s fantastic for any footballer to hear.
“I’m genuinely delighted to be joining a club of Albion’s stature. The team is full of top players and it’s pretty clear that they are also a great set of lads.”
West Brom finished tenth in the Premier League last season, a point and two places behind Southampton.
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