West Ham sold Grady Diangana to West Bromwich Albion back in the summer of 2020, and the winger’s exit caused a mutiny amongst some players and staff at the London Stadium, Mark Noble included.
In the end though, those concerned reactions seem to be unfounded.
The now 26-year-old has never truly lit up the Championship with the Baggies, and it seemed like the Hammers players a blinder at the time by selling him for around £20 million (The Daily Mail).
Diangana has bagged just 22 goals and 19 assists in 167 games in all competitions for West Brom so far (Transfermarkt).
His average form in England’s second tier makes the angry outbursts from some Hammers players and fans after he was sold in 2020 all seem like a big overreaction.
Is he as good as he was once hyped up to be, and more importantly, is he at the level required to play in the Premier League?
Grady Diangana could rejoin West Ham
The winger, who has just changed his national allegiance from England to the Democratic Republic of Congo, joined West Ham way back in 2010 as a 12-year-old.
Grady then joined the senior ranks six years later in 2016, afer he signed his first professional deal with the club.
He made an instant impact for the Hammers when he made his first-team debut in 2018, scoring two goals during an 8-0 win over Macclesfield Town in the Carabao Cup.
Then, in 2019, Diangana signed a six-year deal with West Ham, but he only remained at the London Stadium for one more season after that.
According to a report from Africa Foot United, Diangana is ‘close to joining West Ham’ from West Brom.
The Hammers have apparently made an offer worth £7 million up front, in addition to £3 million in potential add-ons.
Wolves, Brighton, Leicester, Lazio and Roma allegedly all want to sign the Baggies winger as well.
I must say, this report genuinely baffles me. Grady Diangana hasn’t exactly been pulling up trees at the Hawthorns, so why the clamour for his signature from the likes of West Ham and Italian giants Roma and Lazio?
I don’t think the former Hammer has what it takes to succeed in the Premier League. He’s 26 now remember – it’s not as if he’s a young unpolished gem coming through the ranks!
I will be hugely surprised if Diangana does rejoin West Ham this summer, but if Africa Foot United are to be believed, that’s exactly what will happen!
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