Slaven Bilic expects West Brom to sign "senator" striker

The coronavirus pandemic means there are two separate transfer deadlines this month.

Albion can sign players from fellow Premier League clubs and from abroad up until 11pm on Monday.

But in order to give EFL clubs more time to generate money, the Baggies can bring in players from the Football League until 5pm on October 16.

Bilic has stressed the need to sign a striker ever since Albion won promotion with Huddersfield's Karlan Grant understood to be his number one target.

Watford duo Andre Gray and Troy Deeney are other options currently in the EFL, while the Express & Star understands the Baggies also like Metz forward Habib Diallo.

But while Bilic doesn't know when Albion will compete a striker signing, he is confident they will bring in a top-quality forward – or senator – this window.

“We have until Monday and then after we have a couple of weeks to do domestic signings,” the boss said.

“We are trying to get at least one, maybe a couple, but one basically. Two would be good. But we are totally concentrated on the striker position.

“I’m expecting it to happen. Is it going to happen before Monday, or after that, I don't know. But I’m expecting it to happen.

"We need it. It’ll be crucial for us to improve in that area. We have good strikers, but we have to improve in that area.

“That’s what we’ve been saying, me and the guys here, from the start of the transfer window and pre-season.

“It’s not easy, of course, but it’s crucial that we get one quality guy who gives us something we don’t already have, in the building – to get him across the line.”

Asked if he is happy with Albion's business so far, the Croatian said: "Still we haven’t signed those senators, that every club that wants to be a serious contender in the Premier League needs.

"We didn’t do it, hopefully, we’re going to do it – it’s crucial for us to do that piece of business.

“Ideally we’d have a few of them, if not then at least one major one.”

Earlier this week, the Express & Star revealed Albion have made contact with Leicester to check on the availability of Islam Slimani.

And when asked about the Algerian striker as well as Grant, Bilic confirmed they are both on his shortlist of targets.

"They are on the list," he said.

"They are other club's players, I am respectful to those clubs.

"But the rumours are true, they are players on our list and they are two quality players."

Asked whether Albion are focused on Monday's deadline or October 16, Bilic said: "It is both.

"A couple of options are from EFL clubs so it doesn’t have to be Monday, we have two more weeks if we don’t do the job on Monday with players from the EFL.

"There are rumours in the papers but there are two or three genuine ones that we would love to happen."