Buendia comparison lifts West Brom and Middlesbrough toward £8m Guiagon move
buendia is the comparison point as West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough weigh a reported £8m move for Charleroi winger Parfait Guiagon. The 25-year-old has 12 goals to his name and can operate wide or as an attacking midfielder, putting him in the frame as a creative addition for two Championship clubs with different pressures.
West Brom finished with three goalless draws in their last six Championship matches, and James Morrison lost two of his 12 games in charge before earning the job on a permanent deal. That run left the club short of punch in the final third, and Guiagon’s profile fits the gap they are trying to close.
West Brom’s final stretch
The numbers point to a clear problem. No West Brom central or attacking midfielder created more than eight big chances in the 2025/26 season, and no one in that group registered more than four assists. Alex Mowatt led those midfielders in both categories, while Isaac Price averaged an assist every 23 matches in the league and created six big chances in total.
That backdrop explains why Guiagon has moved into view. West Brom are not chasing a pure winger only for width; they are looking at a player who has shown he can score and supply from multiple attacking lanes, the same broad shape that once made Emi Buendia such a difficult Championship midfielder to contain for Norwich.
Guiagon and the Buendia link
Guiagon’s output gives the link some weight. He is 25, plays for Charleroi, and has been described as a 12-goal star. He can play as a winger or as an attacking midfielder, which is the sort of flexibility that lets a manager move him between the touchline and central pockets without changing the overall plan.
That is where the Buendia comparison comes from. In the 2018/19 Championship campaign, Buendia scored eight goals and made 12 assists for Norwich as they won the title, then followed it with 15 goals and 16 assists in the 2020/21 Championship season. Those are the kind of numbers that make a wide creator feel like more than a specialist, and Guiagon is being framed in that mold.
Middlesbrough’s promotion push
Middlesbrough are in the play-offs for Premier League promotion this month, but they are still part of the race for Guiagon. The reported £8m fee suggests he is reachable for clubs operating in the same market, and it also shows why both sides can chase the same target without needing a blockbuster outlay.
For West Brom, the decision is tied to a summer rebuild after a season that ended with too many blank scores. For Middlesbrough, the timing is different but the target is the same: a 25-year-old attacker who can work wide or centrally and who has already produced 12 goals. If either club wants more direct final-third production, Guiagon is already on the board.
