Former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips has confessed his desire to see Grady Diangana remain at the club next season if they seal promotion to the Premier League.
Diangana has been a revelation since joining West Brom on loan from West Ham last summer, with the electric winger having made 29 league appearances for the Baggies during their Championship promotion push under the guidance of Slaven Bilic.
The 22-year-old has scored seven goals for the Hawthorns outfit over the course of the campaign - including efforts against Hull and Derby earlier this month - with the England Under-21 international having been an important player for West Brom this term.
Speaking to West Brom News, Phillips has expressed his desire to see Diangana remain in the Midlands next season if they earn promotion to the top flight, particularly seeing as the former striker cannot see him getting regular action with his parent club.
“In the Premier League, would I see him playing regularly for West Ham? Probably not,” Phillips said.
“I’m sure that if they go up, West Brom would like to secure his services and I’m pretty sure the player would like to stay at West Brom and play for them in the Premier League.
“I’d like to see him in a Baggies shirt next season if they’re in the Premier League.”
West Brom remain in the driving seat for an automatic-promotion spot heading into the final day of the season, with Brentford's surprise 1-0 defeat to Stoke handing a major lifeline to Bilic's men following their 2-1 loss to Huddersfield on Friday night.
Can you name the mascot of these 40 EFL clubs?
The Verdict
Diangana has definitely caught the eye with his performances for a promotion-chasing West Brom side this term, and there can be no doubt that any Baggies supporters would love to have the winger back at the club next season whether they go up or not.
However, it seems increasingly likely that Diangana will be playing Premier League football next season which means Albion must seal promotion in order to stand a chance of keeping him, with his parent club West Ham also keeping a close watch on him.
The problem for West Brom is that West Ham will very much run the rule over Diangana's whereabouts next term, and Hammers boss David Moyes will surely be considering the possibility of embedding the 22-year-old into his squad following his second-tier exploits.