West Ham opinion: West Ham should never ever sell Issa Diop

According to reports from English news outlet Sky Sports, Manchester United are very interested in making a move for West Ham star Issa Diop. The Hammers centre-back has been amongst their best players this season and despite only having arrived at the club last summer, it has already caught the eyes of the Red Devils.

The red side of Manchester are rebuilding their side and while the report further adds that the club have been linked with, both Kalidou Koulibaly and Harry Maguire, Diop is a great alternative. While the 22-year-old is a great option for any club in the world, given the rebuild that West Ham are also going through, they cannot afford to lose the Frenchman.

By appointing Manuel Pellegrini, the Hammers have proven their ambition to do so much more and things need to change for the club. That change has already started with the club bringing in the likes of Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko and even Issa Diop last summer.

They’ve continued that trend this season as well, by adding Roberto, David Martin and Pablo Fornals. They’ve been linked with a move for Maxi Gomez as well, with another report from Sky adding that Celta Vigo have accepted a bid for the 22-year-old striker.

But this is about Issa Diop and if West Ham does let the 22-year-old go, it’s a decision that they will undoubtedly regret. Arguably one of the most underrated centre-backs in the Premier League, the Frenchman had a fantastic first season in the Premier League.

He averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.9 interceptions, 4.7 clearances and a rather stunning passing accuracy of 86% per game. It’s a sensational average for someone who was in his very first season in the physical and punishing Premier League.

With time, the 22-year-old proven to be a brilliant addition and he could become the rock in West Ham’s back-line for years to come. But, while that is one of the many reasons why the Hammers cannot sell him, it’s the fact that they won’t be able to replace the 22-year old that should be at the top of their list.

Centre-backs like Issa Diop are not available for pennies on the pound, which is what West Ham brought him in for last summer. There are few defenders out there in the footballing world and for a club like West Ham, that list becomes even smaller.

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Conclusion

West Ham are trying their very best to try and create some sort of dynasty at the club but that is not something that they can do if they let go of their best stars. More than anything, Issa Diop is just that man and with time, he has the potential to improve even further.