West Bromwich Albion could be set for a big blow in their Championship promotion push, according to a new report.
Slaven Bilic’s Baggies are top of the table, two places and two points above Leeds United, but may struggle to keep hold of one of their star players.
Twenty-one-year-old winger Grady Diangana has been a revelation, on loan from West Ham United, but has been so impressive his parent club are reportedly considering recalling him in January.
Sky Sports suggests Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini is considering bolstering his attacking options after the hamstring injury suffered by Michail Antonio and the inconsistent form of Felipe Anderson.
History could be set to repeat itself after West Brom’s promotion charge fell away when the influential Harvey Barnes was recalled by Leicester City last January.
He scored nine goals and provided six assists for West Brom in the first half of last season, including one against Leeds in a 4-1 win at the Hawthorns.
They were third in the table, two points off second, going into 2019, but fell away and eventually finished a distant fourth following the midfielder’s recall.
Barnes has subsequently become an important player under Brendan Rodgers as the Foxes have mounted a convincing top-four challenge in the Premier League.
Diangana has made a similar impact so far this season. He put in a man-of-the-match performance as West Brom beat Stoke City 2-0 on Monday evening, setting up Matt Phillips’s opener before winning the penalty for their second.
He’s scored four goals and provided four assists from 13 appearances so far this season and has immediately become a fan favourite with the Baggies faithful.
This is his first season as a regular starter in senior football, having graduated from West Ham’s academy before occasionally appearing as an impact substitute by Pellegrini last season
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