Tony Mowbray confirmed Grady Diangana future and made John Swift hint before West Brom sack

The former head coach, relieved of his duties by chairman Shilen Patel in the wake of the pitiful 3-1 home defeat to Derby, also suggested fellow out-of-contract attacker John Swift was set to exit on a free transfer.

Attackers Diangana and Swift are coming to the end of their deals at The Hawthorns and Mowbray addressed their futures and plenty more - including what is on the agenda for the hierarchy this summer - just prior to being notified of his dismissal.

Mowbray spoke of a "huge summer" for the club and owners Bilkul when it comes to recruitment to rebuild a squad with loanees returning to parent clubs and those out-of-contract - defender Semi Ajayi is a third first-team senior player - to exit.

Albion recruitment decisions are led by the ownership and a data model introduced by Bilkul in their first year at the helm. Sporting director Andrew Nestor opened up on such while speaking last week.

Mowbray said: "I like footballers like Grady. I hear the stories that he was amazing when he first came, like, 'Wow what a footballer who helped this team and dragged it up by himself almost to get promotion'. Then there’s the, ‘Oh he’s dipped off a bit, does he show the same love?’.

"I think he’s a wonderful football player, but he’s one who won’t be here next year. I just hope we get the recruitment right so we can have footballers who can take the place of a Diangana and a Swift and these footballers who want to play with the ball."

Diangana laid on the assist for what proved to be a consolation from Adam Armstrong in the Rams reverse. He, Swift and several others in Albion's squad have struggled to deliver any kind of consistency over the course of the campaign under either Carlos Corberan or Mowbray.

Former West Ham youngster Diangana, a full DR Congo international, has been at The Hawthorns since 2019, initially on a successful season-long loan and then signed in a deal worth £18million the following summer.

He has made 201 appearances for the club, including 26 goals, with a milestone figure coming from the bench in the woeful defeat at Coventry on Good Friday.

Swift was a free transfer signing in the summer of 2022 under Steve Bruce following an exit from Reading. He and Diangana are believed to be hefty earners at The Hawthorns. Swift has played 126 goals for Albion and netted 18 times.

Using funds to replace both players more effectively will be on the radar of the ownership and new head coach this summer.

Nigerian defender Ajayi, who has been at the club since 2019, is also out of contract. The 31-year-old has struggled for fitness this season with two hamstring injuries.

Long-serving Kyle Bartley, 34 next month, triggered a 12-month extension in his contract earlier in April.