West Brom manager Pulis wants Berahino boost

LONDON (Reuters) - Saido Berahino's transfer wrangle has been keenly felt by West Bromwich Albion, according to manager Tony Pulis, who hopes the club will now benefit following an end to the "shenanigans" surrounding the striker's future. Berahino had been tipped to leave West Brom in January, with the club rejecting a 21 million-pound ($30.5 million) bid from Newcastle United late in the transfer window. Having threatened to go on strike after being refused a move to Tottenham Hotspur last year, the 22-year-old has been used mainly as a substitute this season. With the player now staying at the club at least until the end of the campaign, Pulis hopes he can have a positive impact as West Brom look to pull clear of the relegation zone. "You've got to accept that this football club has been without one of the best goalscorers in the Premier League all season," Pulis told reporters on Friday. "Take (Premier League top scorer Jamie) Vardy out of Leicester, see where Leicester would be. It's been a big miss for this football club. "The window's closed and he's still with us, we've got to make sure he gets his head down, works hard on his fitness and get him back into the fold as quickly as possible." Berahino is unlikely to start Saturday's Premier League game against Newcastle, Pulis said, but will come into contention for their FA Cup replay at Peterborough on Wednesday, having scored twice in the first game against the third tier side. "He wants to play, desperately," said Pulis. "He wants to be involved, we're desperate to get him involved. "All those shenanigans have now eased off the kid and hopefully he can see a path through to the end of the season ... If there's obstacles, he gets confused, he gets misled, everything else runs through his mind." West Brom are 14th in the table on 29 points and are without a win in their last four league games. (Reporting by Toby Davis; editing by Ed Osmond)