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Grady Diangana could have a key role to play at West Ham United next season.
On the chalkboard
The 21-year-old enjoyed a productive season at the Hammers in 2018/19, as he made his breakthrough under manager Manuel Pellegrini.
He made a total of 21 first-team appearances, with 17 coming in the Premier League, two in the FA Cup and two in the Carabao Cup.
In the top-flight, Diangana made six starts, laying on one assist, though he didn’t score.
Nevertheless, WhoScored statistics show that this is a solid winger with both attacking and defensive capabilities.
He averaged 0.7 key passes per game, 1.2 dribbles and 0.6 shots this season, while defensively he made 1.2 tackles per game, along with just 0.2 fouls.
Clearly, Diangana has yet to reach his peak.
He’s 21 and has yet to actually find his best position; he has been deployed as a right winger, an attacking midfielder and a left winger throughout the season, but the signs are promising.
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A workhorse
Diangana is a young player but he has already been trusted by Pellegrini to make a significant impact.
He’s not the same kind of winger as Felipe Anderson, a brilliant dribbler who can twist a defender’s blood and crack a shot off.
Instead, he’s an old-school wide midfielder, constantly looking to recycle possession and manufacture the best possible position for his team-mates.
He is part of a dying breed, really, such is his capability to both attack and defend.
An England Under-20 international, if he continues to be given chances by Pellegrini – he is unlikely to be first choice, given the signing of Pablo Fornals this summer, but he is a reliable back-up – he will almost certainly improve at both ends of the pitch.
As it is, he could make more passes in the final third and he also needs to shoot more.
But when it clicks – and one does feel that it will – West Ham will certainly reap the rewards.