West Bromwich Albion have had a good start to the season in the Championship.
The Baggies have struggled for consistency this season, but after ending Preston North End’s perfect start with a 4-0 win at Deepdale on Saturday, Carlos Corberan’s team are seventh in the table, three points off of the play-offs.
Albion came within a whisker of finishing in the top six last season thanks to a strong second half of the season under Corberan, but the Spaniard’s ability to do business in the transfer market was limited this summer due to the club’s financial predicament.
Corberan was only able to sign three new players this summer, Jeremy Sarmiento, Josh Maja, and Pipa, while several players left.
The summer sale of defender Dara O’Shea to Burnley for £7 million decreased the need for further player sales, although the club may be forced to sell some of their important players in January.
With that in mind, we examined three Baggies players who could depart The Hawthorns during the upcoming transfer window.
Thomas-Asante, Brandon
Thomas-Asante joined Albion from League Two club Salford City last summer for £300,000, which appears to be a steal.
Last season, he scored nine goals in his first season at The Hawthorns, and he has remained a regular this season, scoring three times in nine games across all competitions.
Thomas-Asante attracted interest from Stoke City and Leeds United this summer, with the former having a £2 million bid rejected for the 24-year-old.
Albion were reportedly demanding £5 million for Thomas-Asante this summer, and while that valuation could prove to be a stumbling block, it would be no surprise to see him emerge on the radar of other clubs again in January.
Grady Diangana
Diangana’s future was also the subject of speculation this summer, with Leeds United, Leicester City, Burnley and clubs from Saudi Arabia said to have been keen on the 25-year-old.
The winger initially joined the Baggies on loan from West Ham United in August 2019 and after helping the club to promotion to the Premier League, the move was made permanent the following summer for a fee that could rise to £18 million with add-ons.
However, Diangana has struggled to produce his best form since returning to The Hawthorns on a full-time basis, and he scored just four goals and provided three assists in 35 appearances in all competitions last season.
It remains to be seen whether Diangana can get back to his best this campaign, but should anyone meet Albion’s £7 million valuation, it would be tough for the club to turn down that kind of money.
Caleb Taylor is a defender. Taylor spent the season on loan with Cheltenham Town, where he scored two goals and registered one assist in 49 games across all competitions to help the Robins finish 16th in League One.
He stayed at The Hawthorns this summer, although his game time has been limited so far this season, and he has been left out of the matchday squad on numerous occasions.
Taylor will have competition for a starting spot at centre-back from the likes of Cedric Kipre, Kyle Bartley, Semi Ajayi, and Erik Pieters, so another loan spell could be helpful for his development.
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