West Ham United’s failure to find a buyer for Jack Wilshere, Felipe Anderson or Manuel Lanzini is the reason behind their decision to sell Grady Diangana to Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion, according to The Mail.
The irony of this statement will not be lost on anyone.
After trying and failing to get a trio of underperformers off the wage bill, West Ham instead have opted to cash in on one of the most exciting young attackers – not just at the London Stadium but in English football as a whole.
Academy graduate Diangana is set to join West Brom on a permanent deal after he helped Slaven Bilic’s Baggies finish second in the Championship during a brilliant loan spell.
West Brom could pay up to £20 million for a winger who produced eight goals, six assists and a series of scintillating, often unstoppable performances across a breakthrough 2019/20 campaign at the Hawthorns.
And, understandably, Diangana’s impending departure hasn’t gone down well with West Ham fans.
Hammers hero Trevor Sinclair, meanwhile, was left questioning the decision to sell on talkSPORT (2 September, 11.50am), claiming the 21-year-old has the potential and talent to “go to the very top”.
And, with just a month left before the transfer window slams shut, neither Lanzini, Anderson nor Wilshere appear any closer to an exit.
The three players set West Ham back a staggering £255,000 a week combined, according to Spotrac.
West Ham’s record transfers
- Sebastien Haller
£45 million
- Felipe Anderson
£41.5 million
- Marko Arnautovic
£25 million
- Pablo Fornals
£24 million
- Issa Diop
£22 million
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