Sam Allardyce lifts lid on West Brom’s January transfer plans

Charlie Austin has left for QPR to free up some funds for a new striker or two to join this month

Allardyce is keen to strengthen in the January window (PA)

Sam Allardyce says West Bromwich Albion will dip into the transfer market this month to strengthen their strikeforce after watching his side fall to a penalty shootout defeat by League One side Blackpool in the FA Cup on Saturday.

With Callum Robinson rested and Charlie Austin completing a loan move to QPR, Allardyce was left short on attacking options for the third-round tie at Bloomfield Road and the 66-year-old did not name a forward in the matchday squad.

West Brom, who are second bottom in the Premier League with eight points from 17 matches, have scored just three goals in five games in all competitions since Allardyce replaced Slaven Bilic last month.

"I'll make a judgement on the players, as will the rest of the staff, as soon as possible and then we'll be off into the market to find players who make the squad better," he said.

"We've let Charlie go to QPR so that creates an opening in terms of finances to get another centre forward.

"We played up front with nobody because we've not got anybody. We need one, if not two, frontmen because we need to score goals."

West Brom have signed midfielder Robert Snodgrass from West Ham United and goalkeeper Andy Lonergan in the January transfer window but Allardyce hopes there will be more additions.

"We need to bring players in this window, everybody does. But no one more so than us. We need players in more than anyone else in the Premier League to give us a chance of moving out of the position we're in," he said.

West Brom next face 13th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

Reuters