Mark Noble has been speaking to Rio Ferdinand on the FIVE YouTube channel, where he discussed West Ham opting to sell Grady Diangana.
What’s the story?
Well, there was uproar at the London Stadium when West Ham decided to sell one of their brightest prospects in Diangana to West Brom in 2020.
The 23-year-old had just enjoyed a stunning season on loan at the Hawthorns, scoring eight goals and providing six assists, with many expecting him to be rewarded with a first-team role at West Ham.
However, a £20m deal was sanctioned by the Board, much to the disgust of thousands – including Noble.
Speaking to Ferdinand about the situation, the 34-year-old said: “Grady was so good in training. I thought, if he stays with us and plays with better players, he’s gonna be a £40m – £50m player in a few years.
“He came to me and said ‘Mark, I really don’t want to go, I want to be at West Ham.'”
Clearly, many at West Ham had high hopes for Diangana, and even he wanted to fulfil his vast potential in east London.
Unfortunately, we’ll never know how the forward’s career would’ve gone had he been given a chance to impress at the London Stadium
Grady Diangana has struggled since leaving West Ham
Sadly, Diangana’s move to the Hawthorns has not been a success.
Last season, he scored just one goal in 20 Premier League appearances, as the Baggies were relegated.
So far this season, Diangana has netted just twice in 25 Championship outings, as West Brom find themselves fifth in the league.
However, he is still just 23 years of age, so he has plenty of time to turn his promising career around.
If he can rediscover the form he showed in the 2019/20 season, there’s no reason why he can’t go on to become the £50m player Noble thinks he can be.
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