West Ham United fans have been reacting furiously to reports Grady Diangana is to be sold to West Bromwich Albion.
Jack Collison questions West Ham ambition amid impending Diangana sale
According to the likes of Sky Sports and Claret & Hugh, West Ham have agreed a deal to sell the academy graduate to West Brom for £18million.
ExWHUemployee also confirmed a deal is in motion on his West Ham Way podcast last night.
It seems to be the final straw for many West Ham fans when it comes to unpopular co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold.
Furious West Ham fans perplexed and outraged by impending Diangana sale
Supporters cannot fathom why the club would sell Diangana.
Particularly with speculation that the money will be used to sign Said Benrahma of Brentford – a very similar player.
West Ham’s own media team posted just last week a picture of Jarrod Bowen and Diangana saying ‘Can’t wait to see more of these two next season’.
Gold broke a six-month Twitter silence by posting a picture of Diangana, Ben Johnson and Conor Coventry last week in an apparent nod to West Ham’s new strategy of using the club’s young players in the first team – read full story here.
Reliable insider ExWHUemployee suggested the Diangana bid has been accepted because Moyes – who has been told he must sell to buy this summer – wants money to sign defenders.
The only way Grady sale is remotely acceptable
There is no sugar coating what is going on at West Ham right now.
The owners have made their bed and now they must lay in it. The relationship between the terraces and the boardroom is beyond repair.
Taking a wider view of the Diangana sale, though, there is only one way it would be remotely acceptable.
If Moyes does not see Diangana as a key player or regular for West Ham – knowing he must sell to buy – and the only player attracting interest is the winger then a view may be taken he has to be sold for the greater good.
West Ham should not be in this position at all. But let’s play devil’s advocate for a moment. Let’s say – as the owners probably will – it is a choice between who is sold out of Diangana or Declan Rice. Then clearly everyone would choose the latter to remain.
But that’s only if Moyes is given the money and backing to sign two or three targets for key areas.
It may seem utterly unrealistic given the dreadful transfer window the club has endured so far.
But let’s say the money – and the £7.5million banked from the sales of Albian Ajeti and Jordan Hugill – is used to sign Moyes’s number one defensive target John Stones (ExWHUemployee) and left-back Rico Henry.
Moyes must get funds to strengthen key areas
That could be argued makes West Ham a much stronger side.
Indeed if West Ham can get both in – or any quality centre-back and left-back combination from Moyes’s list – AND snatch a free agent like Ryan Fraser then it may be acceptable to sell an academy star like Diangana.
But it is a big if. A straight sale to then bring in Benrahma just does not add up.
If the Diangana cash is used for Benrahma then where would the money come from for the two defenders?
Whether West Ham could attract a player like Stones remains to be seen.
But Diangana out and two or three targets in is the only way this impending deal is remotely justifiable.