Tony Mowbray reckons new Albion signing Jay Simpson can prove he is a future Arsenal star by firing the Baggies to Premier League safety.

Mowbray is poised to complete a loan deal for 20-year-old Simpson in the next week after agreeing terms with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

And the Albion manager is hoping Simpson’s arrival for the rest of the season will help both clubs and the player.

“This boy is an unknown quantity at Premier League level, I would suggest,” said Mowbray. “Can he score goals? I don’t know.

“But we will give him an opportunity to see if he can.

“He’s obviously had a very good upbringing and every player needs an opportunity.

“We will be trying to provide a platform for him to see if he’s going to be, from his perspective, an Arsenal star of the future.

“Sometimes all these young boys need is an opportunity to burst onto the scene and do the job.

“Come January he’ll join us and we’ll see if he can get himself into our team. I think the deal is done.”

And Mowbray believes Simpson’s arrival will provide the Baggies with some much-needed extra penetration after they drew another blank in a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea yesterday.

“I think it was quite evident that we lacked the cutting edge and the quality in the final third to seriously threaten them, whether that be a final ball, a cross, a through-ball or effort on goal,” said Mowbray.

“Our team needs some help in that department.”

Mowbray was redrawing his defence today after learning that central defender Abdoulaye Meite will be out for several weeks with a hamstring injury,

The Ivory Coast international limped off after 27 minutes at Stamford Bridge. It has opened the door for Leon Barnett to return to the first team.