Carlton Palmer urges West Brom to keep Dara O’Shea and Grady Diangana after latest transfer development
Carlton Palmer believes it will be a “mistake” for West Brom to cash in on both Grady Diangana and Dara O’Shea this summer, regardless of their financial situation.
According to the Sunday People [11 June, page 61] the Baggies will listen to offers for both Grady Diangana and Dara O’Shea in order to “balance the books” at The Hawthorns.
The Baggies signed Diangana from West Ham on a permanent basis in 2020 following a productive loan spell, while O’Shea a product of the club’s youth academy emerged as a vital performer under Carlos Corberan last season.
And speaking to Football League World [13 June], Palmer was left raging at the West Brom transfer news and claimed it will be a “mistake” to allow them to leave.
He said: “Once again, West Brom are set to sell two of their best players – Diangana and O’Shea this summer – supposedly to balance the books.
“This will be disappointing for the fans to see – it just shows they’re a selling club. Right before the new season you want fans to be optimistic and show that you’ve got a chance of promotion.
“I do believe this is a mistake – O’Shea is a product of the academy and he’s now a fully-fledged international, whilst Diangana was brought from West Ham and helped the club to get promoted in 2020 and he was one of the stars.
“These players are young and if you do get promoted then they’re only going to be worth more money, so you should be wanting to keep them.”
Show some strength
The Baggies are preparing for a crucial full season with Corberan in charge following some worrying behind-the-scenes development at the club following the departure of CEO Ron Gourlay which will have thrown the Spaniard’s position at the club into real doubt.
However, in a new behind-the-scenes shift, the new head of football operations Ian Pearce is planning for life with the Spaniard in charge and is looking to back him with signings in the transfer window.
The outgoings at West Brom may prove even more crucial but the departures of both O’Shea and Diangana may prove a real blunder by the club board and could lead to backlash from fans.
It is imperative the Baggies show some strength in the market to make a statement to their rivals ahead of the campaign and keeping such vital performers in the midst of such financial difficulty at The Hawthorns is a huge step in achieving that.
Though, should a big offer come in for either player this summer, Corberan may well be tempted to lose Diangana over O’Shea given his lack of consistency last season. West Brom do need funds in order to rebuild further this summer and they may well be inclined to accept an offer for Diangana but selling O’Shea is a no-go zone.
In other West Brom news, one pundit has mooted a summer move for a Player of the Season nominee at the Albion.