"The problem they've got" - Pundit identifies potential Grady Diangana issue for West Brom | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer spoke to FLW to discuss Grady Diangana's future at West Brom

Carlton Palmer believes that West Brom could have a problem in January with Grady Diangana, with the player currently set to leave on a free transfer next summer unless they give him a new deal.

Diangana has played a bit-part role for the Baggies so far this season, starting just one league game, and Palmer believes that the club may look to sell him in January if they're planning on allowing him to leave at the end of the season.

The 26-year-old first joined the Baggies in 2019 on a season-long loan from West Ham, before completing a permanent switch in September 2020, putting pen-to-paper on a five-year deal at The Hawthorns.

The Congo international is into the final year of that five-year contract, and with game time limited so far this season, the Baggies could well decide to release him at the end of the campaign.

However, with West Brom set to be in the mix for promotion this season, a big squad will be needed, and it could give Carlos Corberan a headache in deciding what to do with the 26-year-old.

Carlton Palmer on Grady Diangana's future at West Brom

Former England and West Brom midfielder Carlton Palmer is interested to see what the Baggies decide to do in terms of Diangana's contract situation, and believes that they may decide to sell him in January should he have no long-term future at the club.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer said: “West Brom are flying high this season, they’ve had a fantastic start. They’re fourth in the table, only two points adrift of leaders Sunderland.

"One player out of contract in the summer is Grady Diangana. He’s played a bit-part role so far this season, but it’ll be interesting to see what the hierarchy do with Diangana, whether they offer him a new contract or not.

"Obviously you need a big squad if you want to win promotion, and he has played a big role in West Brom getting promoted before, so it’s whether they see if he has a future at the club or not.

“He has played in the top-flight before, and he lit up The Hawthorns during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons as Albion returned to the top-flight, and he penned a five-year deal.

“He was an ever-present then, but we’ll have to see whether he’s in Carlos Corberan’s plans going forward, but you need a big squad.

“The problem they’ve got is if they keep him until the end of the season and lose him on a free, so that’s what they’ll have to decide in January, but you know that he can play in the Championship and the Premier League, so I would have thought they would look to extend his contract, but if he’s not playing he might look to move on because at that age you want to be playing regular first-team football.”

It might be the right time for West Brom to move on from Grady Diangana

Diangana has been an excellent servant for West Brom and enjoyed a good 2023/24 season, but he seems to have fallen down the pecking order at West Brom, playing just 188 minutes of Championship football so far and making just one start.

Things could change quickly and Diangana could come back into Corberan's plans with a few good performances, but as it stands, he doesn't seem to feature prominently in the plans of the Baggies boss.

At 26, Diangana may want to be playing regular football elsewhere, and having been at West Brom since 2019, it could be the right time to freshen things up and experience a new football challenge.

Whatever happens, the West Brom faithful will have some fond memories of Diangana after he helped lead them to promotion in 2020, and he's certainly done a good job for the club.

It'll be interesting to see whether West Brom renew his contract or not, but at this stage it feels like he'll be moving on in the summer.