According to Sky Sports News, West Ham are willing to part with defender Issa Diop for £45m, the ace was linked with a move to Manchester United last summer.
Sky Sports report that the Hammers need a clear-out ahead of next season, with Diop one of the players that has been made available as at least two unnamed Premier League clubs are keen on the ace.
Sky reported last summer that the Red Devils tabled a £45m bid plus a defender for the Frenchman, the Hammers valued the ace at £75m at that moment in time.
The most recent reports suggests that a move would allow the 23-year-old to earn a considerable increase on his current £50,000-a-week wages.
Given Diop’s current status, it’s only a matter of time before speculation runs rife about the ace heading to Old Trafford, but the Red Devils should not reignite their interest in the talent for these reasons…
Diop arrived at West Ham in the summer of 2018 for a fee of £22m, as per BBC Sport. The former France Under-21s star enjoyed a solid debut season but hasn’t fared anywhere near as well this term.
Diop is coming off a campaign that saw the Hammers threatened by relegation until they sorted things out in the run-in to the end of the season, West Ham now want to double their money on the defender.
It’s no secret that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to find a more reliable centre-back partner for Harry Maguire due to the woes of Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly, Diop isn’t that man though.
He didn’t perform well for the London outfit this season and with a valuation of £45m, United should definitely look elsewhere.
Whilst the ace fits Solskjaer’s profile for signings as he’s just 23, the Red Devils have shown this season that they need a vastly experienced central defender to bolster their backline.
Diop is of course a promising talent but United shouldn’t be targeting a defender like this given their recent track record in this area – enter Lindelof and Bailly who have both failed to live up to expectations.
Most importantly before investing in a new central defender, United need to clear some of their out-of-favour stars in this position including Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo.
This piece is by no means a way to tear down Diop’s potential to play for a top club, rather that United need experience at the heart of their defence at this moment in time and not a big-money talent.