West Ham signed France under-21 centre-back Issa Diop from Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse this summer, in what was a bumper transfer window for The Hammers.
The 21-year-old has a lot of potential, which makes the £22m price tag for him relatively modest in this current transfer climate.
Although The Irons made a poor start to the Premier League, they have picked up their form now and look to be an impressive outfit under Manuel Pellegrini. However, during The Hammers’ struggles, Diop barely featured. It is only once the Frenchman was selected that the club’s fortunes began to change, and that probably isn’t a coincidence. Since then, he has looked very composed at the back for such a young man, and looks to be a mainstay in The Hammers’ defence.
Not only is Diop looking like being a great player already for West Ham, he clearly has a long future ahead of him at the London Stadium. The problem may well be as to how the club keep hold of him more than anything.
Already after such a short time in London, Diop is attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Man United and PSG are both teams that are pursuing the defender, and it only seems like a matter of time before he goes.
Therefore, it is a case of West Ham making the most of the player while he is still with them. It is very unlikely that he will move in January, and perhaps not even next summer, so in the meantime, West Ham must try and build and develop a defence around him that can cope in his absence. Diop looks to be forming a great partnership with Fabián Balbuena, this season, and with the added prospect of Declan Rice dropping back to become a centre-back, the future seems bright with or without Diop.
But what The Hammers can look forward to is a huge payday if Diop is sold. That can be used to unearth new players and continue to build what looks like an impressive team for the future.
It is one of the realities of modern football that players can outgrow their club, and Diop seems to be on that trajectory. West Ham must enjoy it while it lasts.
