Karlan Grant gutted Carlos Corberan won’t be joining Leeds United after new West Brom deal
West Brom striker Karlan Grant will be gutted that manager Carlos Corberan won’t be joining Leeds United after the Spaniard signed a new deal at the Hawthorns.
The former Huddersfield Town and Olympiakos manager has been strongly linked [Sky Sports, 7 February] with the vacant managerial post at Leeds, following the sacking of manager Jesse Marsch on Monday [6 February].
Reports in the Daily Mail [7 February] suggested that Corberan was considering leaving the West Midlands and returning to Elland Road where he worked under Marcelo Bielsa.
The Spaniard quickly quashed those links and rumours by signing a new deal on Wednesday [7 February] to continue his impressive work at the Baggies as they aim to continue their charge towards the playoff places.
While the whole of the club will be ecstatic that Corberan has extended his stay in the West Midlands, one player certainly won’t be joyous about his stay.
25-year-old Grant already has a difficult history with the Spanish coach, after the forward was sold by Corberan at Huddersfield Town not long after being appointed in 2020.
Two years on and the striker found himself unluckily reunited with the manager who no longer wanted him at the Terriers. And that same pattern could well have formed once again in the January window after the Spanish coach was willing to see the striker leave his squad once again, because of a lack of starting opportunities.
The striker was poised to complete a late deadline day switch to fellow Sky Bet Championship outfit Swansea City, however, the paperwork for the deal wasn’t completed before the 11 PM deadline.
Wales Online [31 January] reported that the two clubs were even said to have made contact with each other over what time they should announce the deal of Grant to take place. However, it wasn’t to be and the 25-year-old has to remain at the Hawthorns for the rest of the season.
Corberan recently admitted [Express & Star, 3 February] he is “happy” Grant remained at West Brom during the January transfer window and is excited to work with the winger for the rest of the season.
And with rumours of Corberan wanting to rejoin his old club, Leeds United will certainly have excited the former Huddersfield striker in his ambitions to reclaim his spot as the club’s leading no.9.
Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. How the two parties look to work together for the foreseeable future successfully remains uncertain, and Grant is certainly faced with further agony, especially after his late failed deadline day move.
In other West Brom news, a big money blow derailed another January deal that looked like getting done.