West Brom must still sting from £15m deal – Huddersfield Town are laughing

West Brom must still sting from £15m deal – Huddersfield Town are laughing

West Brom barely crossed the finish line to earn automatic return to the Premier League in 2020.

Albion, who had been outstanding under Slaven Bilic for most of the season, struggled when they had to play behind

closed doors during the COVID-19 outbreak and lost their last four league games.

But after a two-year exile, West Brom returned to the top flight with a draw at home against QPR on the penultimate

day, sparking celebrations both inside and outside The Hawthorns.

In an effort to put together a team that could handle the demands of the top flight, Albion brought 11 players into the

building.

Karlan Grant was one of them; he reportedly paid £15 million to join from Huddersfield Town on a six-year contract.

Given that Grant has contributed to Albion’s downfall over the past few seasons, it’s safe to assume that the Baggies

haven’t received enough credit for their significant investment.

Karlan Grant’s mediocre West Brom spell

Karlan Grant joined The Hawthorns after scoring 19 goals in the second division with the Terriers during the 2019–

20 season, but he was unable to match that goal total in the big time. After making his debut against Burnley, Grant

scored in his second game for the team at Brighton, which helped Albion earn a point at the Amex Stadium. Despite

a strong start that showed flashes of brilliance, Grant would not be able to add to his total from the other 19 games he

played in, eventually losing his spot under Sam Allardyce and being limited to cameos off the substitutes’ bench.

Grant was supposed to start right away and show off his goal-scoring abilities at the second division level following a

disappointing season that concluded with relegation back to the Championship.

Although the Baggies missed out on a play-off spot, Grant did just that and finished as Albion’s top scorer for the

season with 18 goals, despite a turbulent season that saw a manager change from Valerien Ismael to Steve Bruce.

Grant would, however, stop scoring goals at the Championship level in 2022–2023. Before Carlos Corberan took

over as manager, the Baggies were on the verge of relegation under Steve Bruce after winning just one of their first 13

games.

However, Grant would once again suffer from a change in management, which would result in less playing time as

the team recovered under the Spaniard.

It was evident that the two had not gotten along during their time at Huddersfield.

Grant, who only scored three goals in 31 games, started Corberan’s first two games but wouldn’t return from the start

until matchday forty-three.

After having such a bad season, the 27-year-old was loaned to Cardiff City for the 2023–24 campaign before coming

back stronger for Corberan the previous season.The Spaniard appreciated his efforts, offering a second chance to the

attacker. Grant won over the supporters with his unrelenting work rate and eagerness to make a difference. He

scored five out of the seven goals in the first half of the season.

However, when Corberan moved on Christmas Eve to join childhood club Valencia, his strong play and time in the

team were once again snatched away.

Under Tony Mowbray’s tutelage, Grant would ultimately falter. Although he was given plenty of opportunities from

the beginning, he was deployed on the left-wing, as a 10 and even as the line leader, and his performances suffered as

a result of the frequent role changes and chopping.

Grant is now aiming to make an impression under Ryan Mason, another new manager, although his lacklustre

performances under several regimes leave much to be desired.

West Brom will be horrified to look back on Karlan Grant capture

Karlan Grant’s signing was definitely a risk, and it has turned out horribly wrong for the money spent. Shilen Patel is

trying to pick up the pieces after the team was left stranded in the Championship due to a string of serious mistakes

made by then-owner Guochuan Lai following the arrival of Grant.

It was perplexing to consider that the Baggies intended to pay such a high amount for a player who had only scored

four goals in the Premier League before moving to the Black Country, especially because they had the funds to

assault the summer transfer window with in an attempt to solidify their position in the league.

Grant enters the final year of his contract at The Hawthorns, and if more subpar performances follow, the Albion

supporters will be happy to put an end to such a disappointing chapter. West Brom has only had one strong goal-

scoring season out of Grant since he joined the team, and it will serve as a lesson to the club to recruit players with

more top-flight pedigree, should they eventually make it back to the promised land of the Premier League.

Huddersfield Town will have been thrilled to receive such a substantial sum of money for a player who has failed to

produce away from the John Smith’s Stadium, with the Terriers really robbing Albion blind.

Read more news on https://www.sportupdates.co.uk/