Long hop for West Brom

09 August 2011 19:00

West Brom have finally signed Reading striker Shane Long for an undisclosed fee, the club have confirmed.

Long has put pen to paper on an initial three-year contract with the option for a further 12 months.

He becomes Baggies head coach Roy Hodgson's sixth signing of the summer with the fee understood to be an initial £4.5million, rising to a possible £6.5 million with add-ons.

Long is currently on international duty with the Republic of Ireland, preparing for Wednesday's clash with Croatia in Dublin.

But he will be in contention to make his West Brom debut in Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with Manchester United at the Hawthorns.

Albion announced the deal after the results of Long's medical proved positive. He becomes their sixth signing of the close season but the first for whom they have paid a transfer fee.

Billy Jones, Gareth McAuley, Zoltan Gera and Marton Fulop were Bosman transfers while Ben Foster signed on a season-long loan from Birmingham.

Long has been Baggies head coach Roy Hodgson's number one striker target throughout the summer to provide support for last season's top scorer, Peter Odemwingie.

He scored 25 goals for the Royals last season and was linked with a move to West Ham.

Source: PA