David Button completes £1m move to West Brom
Another player is out the Amex exit door. Goalkeeper David Button has left Brighton to sign for West Brom for an undisclosed fee rumoured to be in the region of £1 million.
Button had looked likely to depart from the moment that Graham Potter stated Christian Walton would remain with the Albion for the 2020-21 season, relegating Button to to third in the goalkeeper pecking order.
The Tyson Fury look-a-like is too good for that. He also seems to want to play rather than being third choice, get paid to train four times a week and spend the rest of the time playing golf and drinking beer in Hove like Jason Steele. A casual reminder here that being a third choice goalkeeper at a Premier League club is the best job in the world.
Button’s chances of securing a move had appeared as though they might be scuppered last weekend. Walton was stretchered off with a nasty looking injury in the Albion’s 1-1 friendly draw with Chelsea.
That the Albion have sanctioned Button’s transfer to West Brom therefore suggests that Walton’s injury cannot be as bad as first feared.
Potter told The Argus a few days after the Chelsea game that Walton could return “in weeks rather than months” and the Albion manager would have to be insane to go into the Premier League season with Steele or young Robert Sanchez as number two, God forbid anything happen to Maty Ryan.
The deal therefore represents good news for all parties. It means Walton must be fit enough to deputise from next week’s season opener; Brighton get some money for a player who would hardly have featured this season; West Brom sign a capable number two; and Button’s chances of playing first team football improve.
Button arrived at the Amex from Fulham for a fee of £4 million in the summer of 2018, replacing Tim Krul as Ryan’s back up. Whilst there was always the feeling that Krul could usurp Ryan, Button taking the number one shirt was never really a possibility.
At times, it felt like Ryan’s performances suffered as a result. Ryan had no competition and as we had seen with Krul on the books, he is one of those players who thrives on knowing that his starting spot is not guaranteed. Walton and Ryan doing battle for the number one shirt next season will be intriguing.
Button did enjoy a brief run in the team, playing four Premier League games when Ryan was at the Asian Cup of Nations with Australia in January 2019.
To be fair to Button, he did reasonably well. He kept a clean sheet against Everton on his league debut, helped secure a point from a 2-2 draw at West Ham United, conceded only a penalty against Liverpool’s array of attacking talent and impressed in a 2-1 defeat away at Manchester United.
Some Albion fans felt he had done enough to keep the gloves upon Ryan’s return, at least for a bit. Chris Hughton did not agree however and Ryan was controversially rushed straight to Craven Cottage from Heathrow hours after stepping off a flight back from the United Arab Emirates.
Ryan did not enjoy the best evening, conceding four times in 32 minutes as the Albion surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose to relegation rivals Fulham. Button has been restricted to cup appearances in the 18 months since.
Button leaves Brighton having played 11 times in two seasons with West Brom getting themselves a solid number two to Sam Johnstone, who was an ever present as the Baggies finished runners up in the Championship last season.
