Even though West Ham currently sit 16th in the Premier League, there is reportedly a lot of optimism growing at the club and it is clear to see why.

The club sit level on points with Aston Villa in 19th but they are confident that they could survive in the division after feeling that they were "hitting form before the break and have winnable games that will see them safe anyway", according to Claret & Hugh.

They also report that the side are going to refuse to sell French centre-back Issa Diop, who has been linked to various clubs such as Arsenal.

Since his arrival at the club in July 2018, per Transfermarkt, the defender has already made 54 appearances for the side and is seemingly their first choice in the centre of defence given the extent of his involvement.

Indeed, during it, he also makes a club high 5.3 clearances per game, via WhoScored. Therefore, the club being confident in keeping him is obviously a boost, making their reported confidence well-placed. Furthermore, the performance in their 3-1 Southampton, per Premier League, prior to the break in football was promising in that they had more shots (via WhoScored) and won more aerial duels, backing up that confidence. 

Having kept them up before back in 2018, Moyes will surely have a realistic chance of doing so again if they can repeat their performances against Saints and Liverpool, a game in which was praised by pundits such as Robbie Earle and Kyle Martino.

In theory, Diop also staying would add to that confidence and give the Hammers a great boost not just for the remainder of the current campaign but also for the next season.

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