Striker Baldock joins Albion

STRIKER Sam Baldock joined Brighton & Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal from Bristol City last night.
Sam Baldock.  Picture by Geoff Penn/BHAFCSam Baldock.  Picture by Geoff Penn/BHAFC
Sam Baldock. Picture by Geoff Penn/BHAFC

The 25-year-old marksman, who won the League One Golden Boot last season, passed a medical at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre yesterday afternoon.

Albion boss Sami Hyypia said: “Sam was one of our key summer attacking targets and I’m delighted we have now completed the transfer and to be able to welcome him to the club.

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“Alongside our existing forwards, he will give us another attacking option and we hope he will continue to score goals for Brighton.

“He’s a predator, instinctive in front of goal and his career goal record is excellent. He’s played and scored goals at this level, and we are confident he can be a major threat for us going forward.”

Baldock began his career as a trainee at Wimbledon, and remained with the club when they relocated to Milton Keynes in 2003. He made his debut for MK Dons in 2005, but his breakthrough season came in 2008-09, when he scored 13 goals in 44 appearances.

He went on to score 43 goals in 124 appearances for the Dons, before joining West Ham United in 2011. Finding first team opportunities limited at Upton Park, Baldock joined Bristol City the following year in a £1.1m move.

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He scored ten goals in the Championship as Bristol City were relegated, and in the 2013-14 season Baldock hit 24 league goals to finish as League One’s leading scorer.

In his career so far, Baldock has scored 84 goals in 241 appearances. He has also won two international caps after representing England in the under-20 World Cup in Egypt in 2009.

Albion’s head of football David Burke added: “It’s been a very busy summer of transfer activity and player movements for the club. As with all transfer windows, patience has been the key, particularly as we had a very clear and defined target list.

“We are very pleased to have completed the vast majority of our business well ahead of the window closing and, most importantly, to have assembled an exciting and very talented playing squad for the season ahead.”

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Hyypia added, “I’m really pleased with the work we’ve done and the squad we have here. We have quality and options across every position, and will allow us to rotate to cope with the demands of the Championship.

“The recruitment work has been excellent and I would like to thank David Burke and his team for the vital role they’ve played in identifying, scouting and recruiting our targets.”