How Grady Diangana is getting on in La Liga after leaving West Brom | OneFootball

FLW details how Grady Diangana has performed in Spain since departing the Baggies.

Grady Diangana was certainly a polarising figure among West Brom supporters during his six years in the Black Country.

The Congolese international burst onto the Championship scene at The Hawthorns on loan from top-flight outfit West Ham, dazzling the second-tier and forming a joyful partnership with Brazilian playmaker Matheus Pereira.

Their combination would get Albion supporters buzzing with excitement and regularly off their seats when the club was led under Slaven Bilic, with the duo playing starring roles in Albion’s promotion back to the Premier League.

Eight goals and seven assists from 30 second-tier appearances saw Diangana link up at B71 on a permanent deal, joining for a reported fee of £18m, putting pen to paper on a five-year contract.

There was well-documented frustration from the Hammers’ side about a deal going through, with then club captain Mark Noble revealing he was “gutted, angry and sad” that Diangana had been sold.

But upon joining in their Premier League term, Diangana failed to show much consistency in his time with Albion, as supporters never really got to see the talent they witnessed in his debut campaign.

The 27-year-old scored just once from 20 Premier League matches, falling out of favour when Bilic was replaced by Sam Allardyce, while a hamstring injury also halted his efforts to gain regular gametime.

Back in the Championship under a combination of Valerien Ismael and Steve Bruce, Diangana failed to have a starring role in the Albion team, recording only two goals and one assist all term as the Baggies slumped to mid-table.

The 2022-23 season would result in an equally disappointing campaign, with Diangana mustering only four goals and three assists, but 2023-24 saw the midfielder return to his best, as Carlos Corberan managed to unlock his talents.

His seven goals and eight assists helped the Baggies reach the play-offs – albeit it ended in semi-final defeat to Southampton.

His final season for West Brom was a turbulent one for the playing squad, as Corberan left on the eve of Christmas, while Tony Mowbray’s return ended in disastrous fashion and club legend James Morrison took interim charge as their hopes of a top six spot faded away.

Diangana reverted to his inconsistent ways, as more injury troubles limited him to four goals and three assists, leading to the club releasing him at the end of his contract and losing him for nothing.

But how has Diangana fared since? FLW details how he has performed since leaving The Hawthorns in the summer.

How Grady Diangana has got on at Elche

After waving goodbye to the Baggies after the end of the 2024-25 season, Grady Diangana bided his time before choosing a new club, with speculation rife about his next move throughout the summer transfer window.

The ex-West Ham man had been linked to numerous clubs, with Fabrizio Romano previously reporting Parma and Celta Vigo held an interest in securing his services, while he had turned down a contract offer to return to the Premier League with Burnley.

Diangana had also been linked with a profitable move to Saudi Arabia, specifically El-Ettifaq, but that didn’t materialise.

Instead, Diangana finally chose his desired club, moving to Spain and linking up with La Liga outfit Elche, who gained promotion back to the Spanish top-flight last term.

Elche have started very well on their return to La Liga action too, going unbeaten in their first five outings, winning two and drawing three.

As Diangana worked his way up to full fitness following no pre-season, he was named in the matchday squad for their 2-2 draw with Sevilla, but remained an unused substitute.

The 27-year-old was yet again named on the bench the following week against Real Oviedo, and was introduced for his debut, playing 17 minutes and helping the team secure a precious 1-0 victory.

Grady Diangana will hope to put West Brom woes behind him

Grady Diangana was certainly such a talented and exciting prospect, but it just never clicked at West Brom, which was a great shame for all connected to the club.

He showed glimpses and sparks of quality, but ultimately couldn’t piece it together consistently enough, and a change in environment was badly needed to help resurrect his career.

He was quite fortunate to have received so much high-profile interest given his previous struggles, so a season in La Liga provides a great opportunity to show people what he can still offer at the top end of the game.

Diangana will be hopeful that he can receive regular starts in the near future and provide attacking contributions on a regular basis as he enters the prime years of his career.