Former Nigerian international Brown Ideye has opened up on his decision to join West Bromwich Albion ahead of West Ham United, revealing that the Baggies presented a more concrete and ready deal.
Ideye, who joined West Brom from Dynamo Kyiv in 2014 for a then club-record fee reportedly around £10 million, explained that although multiple clubs showed interest, clarity and timing played a decisive role in his choice.
Speaking on The Playzone podcast, the former striker disclosed that he had offers from four clubs, including Deportivo Alavés, West Ham, Sunderland AFC, and West Brom.
“I had a West Ham contract, everything was sent to my agent, it was just for me to sign,” Ideye said. “But the deal was not given any green light compared to what West Brom was offering.”
He explained that while his Nigerian agent was handling the West Ham move, another UK-based agent facilitated the West Brom deal, which progressed much faster and with greater certainty.
“The West Brom deal was ready to go; ‘Come and sign and you’re on.’ So I went with the one that was sure,” he added.
Ideye also revealed that the decision led to a fallout with his Nigerian agent, who felt betrayed after he opted to proceed with a different representative to complete the transfer.
Despite the tension, Ideye maintained that he chose the path that offered immediate clarity, ultimately sealing his move to West Brom and beginning his stint in the English Premier League.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
