£20k-a-week West Brom star tipped for potential summer exit amid Tony Mowbray stance | OneFootball

FLW's West Bromwich Albion fan pundit discussed Karlan Grant's future with the club

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Karlan Grant has been tipped to potentially depart West Bromwich Albion this coming summer, having found himself out of favour following the mid-season appointment of Tony Mowbray.

Grant has endured a mixed stay at the Hawthorns after joining from Huddersfield Town in a reported £15 million deal back in 2020. The forward struggled in the Premier League but scored 18 Championship goals in the 2021/22 season.

However, the following term was a difficult one for Grant, who was sent on loan to Championship rivals Cardiff City last time out. Grant performed fairly well for Cardiff and earned himself a shot at redemption back with the Baggies, which he seized with both hands in the opening half of the season under former boss Carlos Corberan.

Indeed, Grant's renaissance in an Albion shirt after his career with the club had looked to be finished was a resounding success story - the 27-year-old was an unpopular figure among supporters and slipped down Corberan's pecking order. But he was vital under the Spaniard before his departure to Valencia, and what has followed has returned doubt over Grant's future in the West Midlands.

Grant, who has six strikes under his belt this term, started just four of Mowbray's eleven league matches without contributing a goal or an assist under the ex-Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland boss and has now been tipped to potentially leave on a permanent basis this summer.

Karlan Grant, West Bromwich Albion transfer prediction made

FLW spoke to our resident Baggies fan pundit, Callum Burgess, if he believes his side should be considering the prospect of offloading Grant in the summer window, given how reduced his role has been under Mowbray.

Callum is rather indifferent when it comes to retaining Grant, but admitted he would not be surprised to see the winger heading out the exit door.

"Karlan Grant could probably consider himself unlucky to find himself out of favour following his performances under Carlos Corberan in the first-half of the season," Callum told FLW.

"I'm a big fan of Mikey Johnston and was delighted when he came back in the summer. Also, while he may not be hitting the goals and assists numbers he was last season, he still does provide a threat by creating space, running at defenders and creating chances.

"I think Johnston is worth his starting spot on the left-wing. Grant's numbers have also dropped off since Corberan's departure, so I think Albion could use his numbers when he was starting consistently as a way to drive up his price and potential suitors in him in the summer.

"I wouldn't be surprised to see Grant disappointed in his current role in the squad and wanting to leave this summer. Personally I'm 50/50, I'm happy for him to stay but if it's an opportunity for him to leave rather than the likes of Tom Fellows or other key players, I would be selling Grant straight away."

Karlan Grant needs to be playing regular Championship football

Now aged 27 and in what one would define as "prime years", Grant needs to be playing week-in, week-out as a starter in the second-tier. There are lots of Championship clubs - including former side Cardiff, who held a tentative interest in January - who would surely be willing to take him on.

Whether Grant is quite at the level to be a nailed-on starter for a promotion-chasing side like the Baggies is up for debate, but he's still an extremely solid proposition at this level and it's a shame he has not been able to continue his resurgence since Mowbray's appointment.

If he's not going to be a key feature under Mowbray, the club could benefit from collecting what would surely be a seven-figure sum for his services, along with getting his estimated £20,000 weekly salary - as per Capology - off the books.