By Anthony Onifade

18th Nov, 2023 | 12:10pm

Carlton Palmer tips Carlos Corberan to reintegrate Karlan Grant in West Brom first team after Cardiff City loan

Carlton Palmer believes West Brom loanee Karlan Grant will return to the first team picture under Carlos Corberan “sooner or later”.

The BBC pundit and ex-footballer, speaking to Football League World (18 November) believes that Grant was shipped out on loan because of the club’s financial pressure rather than a straight Corberan decision to sell.

The 26-year-old joined fellow Championship side Cardiff City on a season-long loan off the back of a disappointing campaign with the Baggies, scoring just three times in 31 appearances.

Speaking this past week on Express & Star (14 November), Corberan shared that the Baggies will reevaluate his situation when he returns and that Grant will still be a part of his plans as long as he is under contract at the club.

Palmer identifies with Corberan’s comments and believes Grant could well return before the summer, in January if all goes well at Cardiff between now and then.

He said: “Corberan has stated that the door is open for Karlan Grant, who left West Brom in the summer on a season-long loan to Cardiff, to return at some point,” Palmer said.

“I think many were surprised when Karlan was allowed to leave in the summer on loan, but I think this was more to do with his salary and cost cutting done by West Brom rather than do with Corberan.

“Corberan likes versatile players, and Karlan was Albion’s top scorer in 2021-22 with 18 goals.

“He’s one of those players, he can play anywhere across the front line.

“With talk of an impending takeover, and with West Brom currently sitting in seventh place in the Championship, level on points with the play-off positions, if Corberan is allowed to bring in players in the January transfer window, he could well bring back a player who is playing regularly in the Championship and only have to find his salary not a fee.

“Grant will still have two years left on his contract if he is not recalled in January, so there is every chance he will return to his parent club, whether it is sooner or later.”

Got it all wrong

Palmer has surely got it all wrong there. Grant’s career at The Hawthorns is surely done as Corberan will be looking at upgrades in the market next year.

After his struggles to get into the West Brom team last season, his move away this summer was always going to happen and it was counted as Cardiff City’s gain.

However, the forward has scored just one goal and registered two assists in his 16 appearances so far this season so the Baggies were probably right in their decision to axe him from the squad.

With the Baggies forced to cut costs, it made more sense to get the 25-year-old off the wage bill, with the Shropshire Star reporting in the summer (15 July) that Cardiff are covering the “vast majority” of his “significant” wages.

There was simply no point in keeping an unhappy player who was not in Corberan’s plans and given his deal still has three years left to run, that would have seen the Baggies waste millions of money given their terrible financial situation.

Corberan can’t openly come out and say Grant will leave upon his return to The Hawthorns in 2024 so it’s understandable the stance he’s just made.

Should a decent offer come in for the striker next summer, the Spaniard will certainly be open to it.

In other West Brom news, Kyle Bartley has spoken about his disappointment after recent results.