West Brom man is showing why Burnley and Leeds were so keen to sign him in the summer: View | OneFootball

West Bromwich Albion will be looking to end their three-year stay in the Championship this season, with the play-offs well and truly in their sight.

The Baggies have struggled to compete at the top of the league since being relegated from the Premier League in the 2020-21 season.

West Brom finished 10th in their first year back in the second tier, while last season they only managed one place higher.

But in the current season, Albion look on course for a top six finish.

The season is entering the final stage, and Carlos Corberan will hope his side can continue their impressive form, and one player who has risen to the occasion not just in recent matches but this season alone is Grady Diangana.

The 25-year-old was somewhat of a forgotten man last season as he rarely started from November onwards, and he missed the final few months of the season through injury.

Despite that, both Burnley and Leeds United were interested in a possible deal for the DR Congo international.

However, he remained with West Brom beyond the September transfer deadline and is now showing why he was such a wanted man - and why he was signed for an initial £12 million in the first place.

Burnley and Leeds United were interested in Grady Diangana

It was reported in the middle of the summer transfer window by the Daily Mail’s Tom Collomosse, that Burnley - as well as Leicester City - were interested in signing Grady Diangana.

It then came to light that Leeds United were also among the sides keeping an eye on the 25-year-old, as reported by the Express and Star.

Diangana has been with the Baggies on a permanent basis since the summer of 2020, when he joined from West Ham United, but the winger did spend the season prior on loan with the club.

There was a lot of uncertainty involving West Brom, as their ongoing takeover put restraints on their finances, which meant they were unable to bring many players into the club and were instead facing the possibility of selling some of their star assets.

However, luckily for West Brom, they managed to get through the summer and the January transfer window with no one signing Diangana, and they now seem to be reaping the benefits.

Grady Diangana is showing why Burnley and Leeds United wanted to sign him

As mentioned, Grady Diangana has been on the books at The Hawthorns for a number of seasons now, and it could be said that he has struggled to be a regular threat for the club.

His first campaign at West Brom saw him score eight goals and record seven assists, which is his best return so far.

The following two seasons saw him score a combined three goals and just one assist, with it not just being the Premier League that he struggled to make a regular impact in.

Last season, Diangana scored four goals and recorded three assists, but this season he has already beaten his tally combined from last season, as at the time of writing he has netted six goals and chipped in with four assists in 25 league appearances.

The 25-year-old has had his injury concerns this season, but when he has been fit and available, he has proven to be a consistent performer, with him contributing heavily in recent weeks for the Baggies.

Diangana is outperforming his xG, which currently stands at 4.12, with him averaging a goal every 240 minutes of football, as per SofaScore.com.

Furthermore, the winger is contributing a lot more going forward, as he’s averaging 1.2 shots per game, has created six big chances for his teammates, and is playing 1.1 key passes on average per match.

Diangana has been quite inconsistent during his time at the Hawthorns, but this season he seems to have found his form once again, with one of the factors likely being that he’s being deployed in the number 10 role, which gives him the license to roam around the pitch.

The 25-year-old is having a very good season, and Corberan will hope that continues as West Brom look to not only cement their place in the top six but also get back into the Premier League.

As for the likes of Burnley and Leeds, they will be watching and wondering what could have been if they managed to get a deal over the line in the summer - the latter may have done fine without him as they signed Jaidon Anthony instead but the Clarets have struggled in the Premier League, although there's no guarantee Diangana would've made the step up.