Grady Diangana has been hailed as the ‘perfect’ addition for West Bromwich Albion after the winger sealed an £18million transfer from West Ham United.
Diangana was unveiled as a permanent West Brom player on Friday when the Baggies confirmed the 22-year-old had signed a five-year contract at the Hawthorns, completing an initial £12m transfer that could rise to £18m through add-ons.
The move has been met with extreme levels of backlash from the West Ham fanbase and playing squad, with captain Mark Noble venting his anger and disappointment on social media before Jack Wilshere added that Diangana now has the chance to impress at “a club that respects you”.
Even Diangana did not expect the move to occur this summer, with David Moyes keen to keep him at the London Stadium where the attacker’s pre-season form in training had impressed both coaches and teammates.
Now, though, Moyes is left preparing for the new season without Diangana at his disposal while the winger prepares for his first season as a permanent West Brom player.
Diangana has also been lauded as the ‘perfect’ addition for the Baggies by Birmingham Live, who claim the forward, who is adored by the Hawthorns fanbase, is set to delight through his eye for goal, genuine flair and having taken Slaven Bilic’s attack to the next level last season.
The former England U21 international struck eight goals and penned seven assists over 30 Championship appearances, including three goals and an assist in the final six fixtures of the term.
Were the club wrong to sell Diangana?
Yes
No
West Ham may live to regret selling Diangana as the season progresses and see the fury of Noble and Wilshere was well placed, as West Brom will likely be aiming to secure a mid-table finish upon their return to the Premier League – potentially at the Irons’ expense.
West Brom only finished outside the clutch of mid-table sides twice during their previous eight-season stint in the top-flight, with the Hawthorns outfit boasting an 11th-place finish on the back of securing promotion as the runners-up in the 2009/10 Championship season.
They again return to the Premier League as the reigning runners-up of the Championship, and may yet bolster Bilic’s squad further before the curtain-raiser at home to Leicester City with rumoured interest in Watford captain Troy Deeney.
