Diangana to West Bromwich Albion: What were West Ham thinking?

The uproar provoked by the Hammers letting one of their prized assets depart has generated column inches...but was that decision reasonable?

When West Ham United sent prodigious talent Grady Diangana out on loan to West Bromwich Albion last season, the plan was for him to get gametime, gain valuable experience and return to the London Stadium ready to push for a place in the first team...or so we thought.

In fairness, two of those wishes were met: the exciting winger played 30 times for the Albion as they regained promotion to the top flight after two years away, and was probably Slaven Bilic’s second-most-important attacker behind the mesmeric Matheus Pereira.

The third hope for the 22-year-old academy graduate seemed to be a mere formality after an impressive campaign at The Hawthorns where he scored eight times and set up six in 23 starts. Diangana, in what many felt was his final game for the Baggies at the time, more or less sealed Premier League promotion for the West Midlands' club.