Carlos Corberan issues message to Karlan Grant after failed West Brom transfer
Carlos Corberan is looking forward to working with Karlan Grant in the second half of the season at West Bromwich Albion after his deadline day move to Swansea City fell through. Striker Grant was permitted talks with the Swans with a view to a loan for the rest of the season, but the pieces at Albion’s end didn’t fall into place.
In talks with Chelsea over the borrowing of youngster Omari Hutchinson, the progression of that arrangement impinged Grant’s own move. When the Hutchinson deal collapsed, Grant was told he was staying at The Hawthorns. Last season’s top goal scorer hasn’t scored a league goal since August and has found regular minutes generally hard to come by under Corberan.
Injuries and illness during the first few months of the Spaniard’s reign haven’t helped his cause, but Grant has struggled to make an impact in the league when permitted an opportunity and as such has fallen behind Daryl Dike, Brandon Thomas-Asante and the injured Matt Phillips in Corberan’s favour. Marc Albrighton could well emerge as an addition to that list in the coming weeks after his arrival on deadline day.
Grant, though, will get chances to impress, says Corberan, who wants to ensure that every player at his disposal is available and willing. In Grant, he sees a player who wants to improve on his poor form and, on deadline day, sanctioned his move to South Wales for the forward’s personal benefit.
“In the last day of the market, these sort of things happen,” Corberan explained. “That’s why people say that a player isn’t a player until it’s done. This situation has happened to many clubs and many teams. I can give you the right answer – I am totally focused on working with all the players that I have.
“I don’t imagine working with any player until the player is here – and I don’t imagine not working with any player until the player has left. This move didn’t happen, but my mind didn’t change. It’s true that trying to find the possibility of a loan for Grant was one that personally I was doing thinking of the player more than my team.
“I was happy to have Grant here, and I let him know exactly this. In some moments you can find short solutions, but in my opinion it’s important to keep Grant in this team, it’s for the best. The fact that I have Grant here makes me pleased, with the squad that I have. I promise that I am not going to miss anything but I am focused and determined to work with the players that I have.
