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"It feels great!" West Brom smash record for Brown Ideye

West Brom have smashed their transfer record to land Nigerian international striker Brown Ideye.

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The 25-year-old Dynamo Kiev star has signed a three-year deal, plus a further year's option in the club's favour, that will cost the Baggies in the region of £10m.

On a busy day for Albion, George Thorne's protracted switch to Derby County also got the go ahead as the Championship club confirmed that they had struck a deal to sign the midfielder for an undisclosed fee.

But it is the signing of a new hit-man which will have Albion fans talking this weekend as the club's close-season search for a new striker to supplement their front-line came to an end.

The star took to Twitter to announce his move:

Brown, who will wear the No.9 shirt, has Champions League experience and a record of 74 goals in 182 career league appearances.

Today, the Baggies released footage of his first official interview at the Hawthorns, in which he said he felt 'great' about the move and outlined his ambition for the club.

Head coach Alan Irvine said: "Brown is a quality striker and I'm looking forward to working with him.

"He's a strong, quick, powerful player who likes to get in behind defences and has plenty of Champions League and international experience."

It's a transfer which will underscore chairman Jeremy Peace's determination to avoid a repeat of last season's "too close for comfort" brush with relegation. Other deals for forward players are understood to be well in advance.

Brown – whose full name is Aide Brown Ideye – is fresh from a prolific season with Dynamo where he scored 16 goals in 25 league games and 21 in all competitions.

But he was controversially omitted from his nation's World Cup squad which has helped cause a hiccup on his work permit.

His two goals from 11 appearances has left him right on the borderline of regulations but the player is adamant incorrect records have excluded squad selections when he did not figure in the starting XI.

Albion maintain he was a priority target ahead of the Monaco striker Emmanuele Riviere who this week opted for a switch to Newcastle instead.

Kiev bought Brown two years ago from French club Sochaux for £7m and comparisons are bound to be made with the clubs previous raid on Russian football for a Nigerian international striker – Peter Odemwingie.

Brown shares the same agent as his fellow countryman and former Baggie. Brown was at the club's training ground yesterday to finalise terms and all that is holding up the deal now is the work permit process.

Thorne's exit, meanwhile, follows two transfer requests and two transfer bids by Derby – all rejected by Albion who valued the player well in excess of the £1m Derby had offered.

The clubs are keeping the figure which has eventually broken the deadline to themselves but it is likely to be an agreement supplemented by add ons.

And having given up on Alan Hutton for a right-back spot, Albion are back on alert as the player demanded talks with Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert after he blocked the transfer to The Hawthorns.

The 29-year-old Scottish international was a prime target to fill Albion's right back berth. and the week started with the Baggies confident of securing a deal.

But Villa boss Paul Lambert has blocked the move in a dramatic change of heart about the Villa Park exiles now back in his favour amid Randy Lerner's decision to pull the plug on investment.

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