Grzegorz Krychowiak: The inside track on West Brom's star signing

Luke Hatfield spoke to European football commentator and freelance journalist Stuart Hodge, who works regularly with Eurosport in the French capital.

What can West Brom expect from Grzegorz Krychowiak?

A committed and talented player who should adapt quickly to the Premier League.

The hustle and bustle of our football shouldn’t be any particular problem to him as that kind of thing is right in his wheelhouse as a player.

He’s also going to be eager to prove himself, not just in a new country, but after a frustrating season at PSG, he’ll want to recapture his best form.

What are his strengths and weaknesses?

He’s strong and good at reading the play, an identikit midfield destroyer and he’s also versatile enough to make the step back to centre-back when needed.

His main weaknesses are his technical attributes, with many French football pundits feeling that’s why he’s not really been getting in the PSG team ahead of other more gifted footballers.

Why do you think PSG have been willing to let him go after just a year at the club and signing for so much £28m?

There isn’t room for him there with the size of their squad, so he hasn’t been playing much.

He doesn’t really fit their system since they changed from a 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3.

And with the money PSG have been spending, meeting financial fair play regulations is a massive consideration, which is as much about shipping some wages off the bill as bringing in transfer fees.

Do you think he'll suit Tony Pulis and the Premier League?

Absolutely. He’s the type of player who Pulis has always liked to have in his engine room.

A combative type who can win the ball back frequently and move it on, as well as bolstering the team at set pieces.

Who would he compare to in the Premier League in your opinion?

Good question. He’s not quite as good a footballer, and probably has a bit more discipline, but in terms of the way he enforces the midfield, he’s not entirely unlike Victor Wanyama at Tottenham.

Maybe there are aspects of Eric Dier there as well…

Somewhere between those two is probably approaching it.

Is he really that much of a coup for West Brom in your eyes?

Definitely, can you name anyone with a better pedigree or CV currently at the club?

No doubt though, that the Baggies benefited from PSG’s financial circumstances and from the fact it’s a player who’s got a point to prove and needs to be playing regularly ahead of the World Cup.

Do you think there's any chance he stays at Albion following the loan spell? Or do you think he could be using the club as an opportunity to showcase his abilities to a bigger club?

Fairly unlikely, they will baulk at what PSG might ask for him next summer, and if he plays regularly and well enough I imagine more prestigious clubs might eye him up.

I don’t expect him to return to PSG permanently either.

It depends how much he likes England as well I suppose, but he’s a player who is well-known around Europe so it would be tough for the Baggies to keep him.

Pulis is good at generating a harmonious atmosphere around the camp though, and I think Krychowiak will love playing for a manager who utilises his strengths as efficiently as TP will.

Do you think he could prove one of the best signings of this transfer window in the Premier League?

Hard to say, given the amount of money that is flying around and some of the players moving around the top clubs.

I definitely think he could prove to be one of Pulis’ most astute acquisitions since he took over at the Hawthorns.

To hear more from Stuart, you can follow him on Twitter by searching for @Hodgeythehack.