Ross Jones

Sun 7 June 2020 18:00, UK

You have to feel a little bit sorry for West Brom youngster Jonathan Leko.

The wide man impressed during the first part of the season during his loan spell with Charlton Athletic, and five goals and four assists in 21 outings is not a bad return at all.

But he picked up a campaign-ending ligament injury in December, and is not expected back in action until August at the earliest.

It’s a very cruel blow for a player who was just beginning to shine at The Valley, but has he done enough to convince Albion that he is worth taking a punt on next term anyway, rather than shipping him out for another loan spell?

More specifically, can he be the man to step into loanee Grady Diangana’s shoes if and when the winger returns to West Ham this summer?

On paper, you would have to argue that he still has a little way to go.

As per Wyscout, Diangana has averaged a cross accuracy rate that is 13.1% better than Leko’s, a dribble success rate that is 5.5% better, and an xG rating that is 0.08 superior this season.

But it’s not all doom and gloom.

For one thing, it’s important to remember that Diangana is a year older than Leko.

Think about how greatly the Hammer has progressed in the past year alone – there’s no reason why Leko couldn’t do the same.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the Albion starlet has shown some really impressive flashes this season.

Take his most recent goal, against Luton Town, as an example.

Leko is several yards behind the last defender as the through ball is played, and ordinarily you would expect his opponent to sweep up the danger with ease.

But the forward shows wonderful pace to not only beat him to the ball, but to put himself clear and in a commanding attacking position too.

Even then, by the time he has entered the box and steadied himself, he is still under a decent amount of pressure.

With a challenge coming in, and with the goalkeeper in a good starting position, Leko shows fantastic composure to get his shot away.

Opening up his right boot, he is able to steer a fantastic finish into the far corner, illustrating his natural eye for goal and his impressive composure.

That goal was Leko’s third in three, and his strike in the game before was just as eye-catching – albeit for slightly different reasons.

In the image above, the Albion man is the player in red on the shoulder of the last man.

Realising that the Cardiff City’s backline is fractured, he recognises a space that he can exploit in behind the advanced centre-back.

By making a diagonal dart across the front of his man – and in behind the blindsided centre-back – Leko creates havoc in Cardiff’s defensive shape.

His marker is unsure whether to follow him or not, and that hesitation allows the forward to gain enough of an advantage to receive a pass which he goes on to cooly finish.

It’s simple play, but it’s also very intelligent, and is the hallmark of a young player with a natural understanding of the game.

Granted, he might still have some growing to do, and a Premier League campaign next season – assuming we go up – might come a little too soon for him.

But we think Leko has shown more than enough to suggest that he has a big future at The Hawthorns.

In other West Brom news, Romelu Lukaku and Ben Foster have paid tribute to Chris Brunt on Twitter.

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