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DukeofDevo 5:29 Wed Jun 13
Issa Diop - signed

OS

West Ham sign sought-after French defender Issa Diop

West Ham United are delighted to confirm the signing of French defender Issa Diop.



The 21-year-old centre-back joins the Hammers from Ligue 1 club Toulouse on a five-year contract for an undisclosed Club record fee.

The Hammers saw off competition from a host of top European clubs to land the highly-rated Toulouse skipper.

An outstanding talent, Diop has been a first-team regular since breaking into the Ligue 1 side at the age of 18 in November 2015, making 95 appearances, and is now looking to step his game up to an even higher level in the Premier League.

“I am very happy to sign for such a historic, English club, and I hope to show my best here,” said the 6ft 4ins player, who has been capped by France at U21 level.

“I am a very ambitious player and West Ham is a very ambitious club, as we’ve seen with the appointment of the new coach. I hope to help the team win lots of games and make the fans happy.”

West Ham United Director of Football Mario Husillos added: “Issa is a player with fantastic potential who has already shown great quality at such a young age.

“It is a measure of his character and maturity that he was named captain of Toulouse at just 20 years of age, having already established himself in their team as a teenager.

“He has represented France at every youth level up to Under-21 and we believe that he is now ready to make the next step in his career by moving to the Premier League with West Ham United.

“There were many other big clubs interested in signing Issa and we are delighted that he has chosen to join us. We look forward to hopefully seeing him make a big impact next season."

Born in Toulouse in January 1997, Diop joined his hometown club at the age of nine in 2006 and progressed through the ranks.

In 2014, aged 17, he made his senior debut, featuring for Toulouse’s reserve team in the French fifth tier, the Championnat de France amateur 2 (CFA2).

After totalling three appearances at that level in 2014/15, seven more followed the following season – a campaign that also saw Diop promoted to the first-team squad under manager Dominique Arribage.

A Ligue 1 debut arrived on 28 November 2015, when Diop helped his team keep a clean sheet in a 2-0 win over Nice at the Stadium Municipal. He followed that with a goal in a 3-0 win at Troyes on his second top-flight appearance and ended the season with 23 first-team appearances to his name, all of them starts.

Diop continued his development in 2016/17, starting 30 times in Ligue 1, adding further goals against Bordeaux and Bastia and captaining the team for the first time against Monaco in April 2017.

While Toulouse struggled last season, only avoiding relegation with a 4-0 play-off win over Ajaccio in May, Diop enjoyed another fine campaign, starting a career-high 34 Ligue 1 matches and both play-off games.

At the age of 20, he was appointed Toulouse captain in October 2017, leading Les Violets to the quarter-finals of the Coupe de la Ligue.

At international level, Diop has been capped at every age-group level from U16 to U21, winning the UEFA European U19 Championship with France in 2016, when he scored his country’s fourth goal in a 4-0 victory over Italy in the final.

Diop becomes the Club’s second summer arrival after right-back Ryan Fredericks.

angryprumphs 9:33 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

LeroysBoots 3:49 Tue Oct 30

Do you really think if PSG come in for him we have any choice in the matter?

If we get £60 million+ for him then it has to be put down as a good bit of business and move on.

andyd12345 9:19 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

I think he has absolutely everything. Is there a better Under 22 year old centre half in world football right now?

Raymond Reddington 8:24 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

If PSG do come in for him he’ll be gone like a flash, wouldn’t blame him either

CrowleyHammer 8:09 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

Sell for 50 million get Collins back on a free. Job done!

North Bank 7:25 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

Trundle funnily enough or not, when I posted the titbit up he sprang to mind as he thinks we paid way over the odds for Diop rating him at £12 million

He'd snap PSG's hand off for anything north of £40 million and reinvest it in players under 24

Bernie 6:31 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

If (when) he wants to go, he'll go.

We need to do everything we can to keep him as he's gonna be an absolute top drawer CB.

Hopefully he can get capped for France whilst playing for us

Dr Moose 5:51 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

If this season carries on the way it is he'll be agitating for a move in the Summer anyway, PSG will get wind of it and £50m+ becomes £30m.

Gavros 5:43 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

either that or he'll simultaneously rupture both knee and ankle ligaments and never kick a ball again.

AKA ERNIE 5:40 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

buster has it spot on

Buster 5:34 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

He's an absolute BEAST.

He'll be gone next season and in true West Ham style we'll only get half of his true worth.

Lato 5:30 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

Diop is the real deal, doe's anybody really believe that PSG were not aware of him before he came to West Ham. We all know they have money to burn so surely you would think they would plough some of it into their scouting system.

We have taken this geezer from under their noses in their own back yard.

dealcanvey 5:24 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

If Van Dijk is going for 80 mill I would not be accepting anything less than 100 million.

This lad is easily on his level and he is just 21 years old!

Signed a 5 year deal. We dont need to be letting him go any time soon. Although we are 13th we have less than a point per game! Pretty remarkable.

As it stands 20 points would keep you up!

Thames Ironworks 5:14 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

when does signed change to sold?

Lee Trundle 4:55 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

I can only imagine V's shit the bed reading this rumour.

Rossal 4:48 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

sell him for 60 mill

put Rice at CB

spunk the 60 mil on Loftus Cheek and Mason Mount....



Easy this management lark

The Libertine 4:47 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

master 4:41 Tue Oct 30

Probably is... after all its not like he is a mystery man in the French league.
Then again, its a fun little change to normal life on WHO to discuss West Ham related stuff.

Trevor B 4:46 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

"Was it 70 mill for Van Dijk? And Diop is better."

TBF that's huge C&B specs on there fella. Diop has played 8 games in the premiership, Van Dijk had 2 and half seasons of top performances under his belt before Liverpool stumped up for him.

master 4:41 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

PSG link is made up nonsense.

The Libertine 4:40 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

If we get top price, then yes, 50-60 is not enough though. Was it 70 mill for Van Dijk? And Diop is better. His tackling and abilities is something I have not seen since Rio broke through. It seems Diop has all the right attributes.
If we do it like Spurs, then I can see this being a very viable way forward. But then I dont see our board being anywhere near Daniel Levy. Comparing our board to Daniel Levy is like comparing Diop to Gary Breen.

Darby_ 4:04 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

Only for silly money, like Spurs often get for theirs.

We have too much of a history of amateurish wheeler-dealers at our club selling at first the opportunity players that end up being worth twice as much within a couple of years.

Trevor B 4:00 Tue Oct 30
Re: Issa Diop - signed

It's not just about having a pop at the club if they sell him for a profit, but a move like this would obviously be extremely attractive to the player, and his agent. We would likely not be able to compete with the wages and signing fees they would be able to offer. Sadly football is so much about money these days that for most clubs it's very hard to resist for long once a club with money like PSG comes knocking for one of your players. yes of course you can put your foot down, tell the player he is going nowhere. most of the time all that makes for is an unhappy player, an agent trying to force a move, a potentially unhappy squad, and could end up with us eventually selling anyway and for a lower price if the club in question decide to be cunty like Marseilles did.

Too much power in the hands of agents these days.

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