View: If Diangana goes, West Brom should revive reported hunt for MLS dazzler
West Ham winger Grady Diangana has been in sensational form since joining West Brom on a season-long loan in the summer.
The 21-year-old has scored four goals and supplied five assists in 14 Championship appearances as the Baggies enter the final international break of 2019 at the top of the league and looking on course for promotion back to the Premier League.
However, as every West Brom fan knows by now, there is a real threat of West Ham recalling Diangana in the first two weeks of January due to how well he is playing at The Hawthorns and how poorly Manuel Pellegrini’s side is performing in the Premier League.
Sky Sports reported last week that recalling the England youth international from the West Midlands is something that the Hammers are considering and that would leave a massive void in Slaven Bilic’s attack if that happened.
Last January saw something similar happen when Leicester recalled Harvey Barnes from his loan spell at West Brom and that was one of the turning points for Albion that saw their promotion bid fail.
Darren Moore and technical director Luke Dowling failed to replace Barnes adequately with Jacob Murphy and Jefferson Montero both coming in on loan and failing to have an impact.
However one other player who was reportedly on West Brom’s radar last season – and might be available this January – is Houston Dynamo winger Elberth Elis.
Football Insider reported at the start of the year that West Brom had made an approach to sign the 23-year-old Honduras international, who was then valued at £5million by MLS side Houston.
The former Monterrey attacker ended up staying put in Texas but has since had a brilliant 2019 campaign with the Dynamo and may be someone who Bilic might want to sign if Diangana does end up going back to West Brom.
In 29 MLS appearances in 2019, Elis scored nine goals and supplied nine assists.
Stats by WhoScored show that Elis averaged more shots at goal in the league than Diangana has so far managed at West Brom while the Honduran has proven he is better at keeping hold of the ball and winning free-kicks or penalties.
Dianagana has done very well in the West Midlands – there is no doubt about that – and it is going to be very hard to replace him should Pellegrini tear up West Ham’s loan agreement with the Baggies in January.
However Houston’s rocketman Elis could be exactly the right replacement if West Brom can strike a January deal with the MLS club.
In other West Brom news, Liverpool are plotting a move for this Baggies teenager.