This article forms part of our Valuation Evaluation feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at the increase or decrease of a player’s Transfermarkt valuation and whether it is justified or not.
Issa Diop made quite the impact at West Ham last season following his move from Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse.
The 23-year-old came in for a lot of praise for some of his performances, with former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho one individual who liked what was on display.
“[He had a] fantastic match,” Mourinho told BT Sport (via Evening Standard) following West Ham’s 3-1 win over the Red Devils back in 2018. “Congratulations to the scout that found a 21-year-old kid Diop – a monster who dominated in the duels.”
Following that solid campaign, Diop now has a Transfermarkt valuation of £31.5m, up from his December 2018 valuation of £22.5m. And looking at some of his stats from this season, it would not be a surprise to see the Frenchman’s stock continue to deservedly rise.
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According to WhoScored, he is currently averaging the most clearances per league game in West Ham’s squad with 5.3, showing his willingness to clear his lines. He is also being dribbled past just 0.3 times per league game, the best average out of any West Ham outfield player who has started more than one match — a real display of sturdiness.
Diop has recently been linked with a move to Arsenal but, looking at what he is currently giving to the Hammers, David Sullivan and David Gold would be crazy to sanction a sale for a player who is clearly on the up.
West Ham fans, how much do you think Diop is worth in today’s market? Let us know in the comment section below!
