West Brom: If Grady Diangana leaves in January, here are 5 ideal replacements | OneFootball

Highlights

With the opening of the January transfer window ticking down, West Bromwich Albion may be forced into further player sales due to their uncertain financial situation.

While there is hope of a completed takeover in the short-term future from current controlling shareholder Guochuan Lai, the implications of this not becoming a reality will force the Black Country outfit into a fire sale at the beginning of next year, as the club look to raise funds after taking out a £20 million loan from MSD Holdings.

One player whose future has been up in the air at the Hawthorns is Grady Diangana, who was the subject of interest from a host of clubs this summer.

The 25-year-old winger dazzled the Albion faithful in his initial spell at the club back in the 2019/20 season, with eight goals and six assists contributing to automatic promotion back to the Premier League under Slaven Bilic.

The former West Ham academy graduate joined the Baggies permanently the following campaign but failed to hit similar heights with just one goal registered as Albion were condemned to relegation back down to the second tier.

Ravaged by injuries during two mid-table finishes in the Championship, Express & Star journalist Lewis Cox reported interest in the Congolese-born wide man, with Leicester City, Leeds United and Burnley all keen on securing his services, as well as clubs from Saudi Arabia, but nothing materialised before the deadline.

With the West Midlands side desperate for funds into the club, they may be tempted to part ways with one of their most saleable assets, with Diangana severely underperforming during his four-year stay at the Hawthorns.

If the 25-year-old was to depart WBA this January, FLW has listed five targets Carlos Corberan could approach to replace him.

1 Andros Townsend

Kicking us off is vastly experienced winger Andros Townsend, who remains a free agent after having his deal terminated by Everton at the end of the last season.

The 32-year-old revealed he was left in tears after going on trial at newly-promoted Burnley, having his proposed contract withdrawn despite original agreements in place with the club.

After failing to secure a move back to the top flight, Townsend may have to drop down a division to get his footballing journey back on track.

With 264 Premier League appearances recorded during a distinguished career, the London-born man could be seen as a real coup of a signing in the Championship, with his left foot providing some sensational strikes throughout his playing days.

2 Ben Doak

Next up is exciting Liverpool youngster Ben Doak, who could be available for his first professional spell away from the Merseyside outfit.

The Scottish Under-21s international is a highly valued prospect by Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, who handed the 17-year-old his full debut in their UEFA Europa League victory over LASK Linz, before starting him in their Carabao Cup triumph over Leicester City in midweek.

However, with many other senior attacking options available to Klopp’s disposal, Doak could be loaned out to gain further experience before attempting to make his mark in the Liverpool first team on a consistent basis, with the Championship an excellent showcase for rising talent in the English game.

3 Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

Another promising young player who could be on the market is Crystal Palace forward Jesuran Rak-Sakyi, who is able to operate on both flanks.

With versatility in abundance, the 20-year-old has made just three cameo appearances off the bench so far this season for the Eagles, and a move to the Championship could prove beneficial in kickstarting his career.

In need of fresh ideas in the attacking department, the Baggies may look to add the London-born winger to their shortlist.

4 Anass Zaroury

Anass Zaroury is another player struggling for game time in the top flight.

The 22-year-old has made just two appearances under Vincent Kompany so far this term but demonstrated his qualities for the Clarets in their title-winning 2022/23 campaign from the second tier.

With six goals and six assists notched from 34 Championship games, the Moroccan international is already very familiar with the demands of the division and should slot in effortlessly if he made a switch to the Hawthorns.

As he continuously terrorized opposition defences week-by-week on the left-hand side, Zaroury would be seen as a vital asset to the group and could be the difference between Albion competing for promotion.

5 Lewis Dobbin

Rounding off the list is Everton’s Lewis Dobbin, who has previous experience in the EFL with a loan spell at Derby County.

In the 2022/23 term, the 20-year-old spent the season at Pride Park, but only scored three league goals from 43 League One games.

After showing his potential to current Toffees boss Sean Dyche in their current Premier League campaign, the Stoke-born man started their 1-0 defeat to Wolves back in September, completing 66 minutes.