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How can West Ham replace Diop?

By Henry Tomlinson

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 27: Issa Diop of West Ham United in action during the Pre-Season Friendly match between West Ham United and Fulham at Craven Cottage on July 27, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 27: Issa Diop of West Ham United in action during the Pre-Season Friendly match between West Ham United and Fulham at Craven Cottage on July 27, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images) /
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West Ham may be forced into the transfer market if Issa Diop leaves. There are plenty of paths that the Hammers could take to replace the Frenchman.

Issa Diop has been linked to Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur of the last few months. The Frenchman last summer could have commanded a fee of around £75 million, but now his valuation has dropped to only £45 million by West Ham.

The Hammers were poor defensively lasts season. The Hammers conceded sixty-two goals last season, the fifth-worst record in the league. This record has led to David Moyes targeting new defender to strengthen the club’s backline. One reason for the Hammers defensive woes was Diop’s inability to recreate the form he showed in his debut season.

Despite the apparent disappointment of Diop’s last season, the 23-year-old still put in some good performances. These games show that he still has a lot of potential to become a world-beater. Should West Ham sell Diop, his transfer could be used to fund his replacement.

John Stones – Manchester City

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 01: John Stones of Manchester City during the Carabao Cup Final between Aston Villa and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 01, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 01: John Stones of Manchester City during the Carabao Cup Final between Aston Villa and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 01, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus) /

The Manchester City defender has been linked to West Ham as David Moyes worked with the Englishman at Everton. John Stones has had mixed success at the Citizens since Pep Guardiola‘s arrival. Last season the Evertonian only made sixteen appearances in the Premier League and appeared to be surplus to requirements.

Stones might seem to have been around for ages now but is still only 26-years-old and is heading into his prime years. The defender could rediscover his best form with a fresh start at the London Stadium where he would be the first choice. Being a regular starter will help Stones show why he was so highly-rated when he was younger.

Currently valued at £20 million by City, a move for Stones would leave the Hammers with an extra £25 million to reinvest into other positions. West Ham is also in desperate need for a new set of full-backs. The £25 million would be more than enough to sign Nottingham Forest’s Matty Cash and Brentford’s Rico Henry, both of which would further improve the Hammers defence.

Malang Sarr – OGC Nice

Nice’s French defender Malang Sarr celebrates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between OGC Nice (OGCN) and Toulouse FC (TFC) at the Allianz Riviera stadium, in Nice, southeastern France, on December 21, 2019. (Photo by YANN COATSALIOU / AFP) (Photo by YANN COATSALIOU/AFP via Getty Images)
Nice’s French defender Malang Sarr celebrates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between OGC Nice (OGCN) and Toulouse FC (TFC) at the Allianz Riviera stadium, in Nice, southeastern France, on December 21, 2019. (Photo by YANN COATSALIOU / AFP) (Photo by YANN COATSALIOU/AFP via Getty Images) /

Diop’s transfer fee could entirely be used on strengthening the whole squad, should West Ham sign Diop’s most natural replacement Malang Sarr. The former OGC Nice defender is currently a free agent after his contract expired at the end of the season.

Sarr is following Diop’s career footsteps. The 21-year-old is currently in the French youth national set-up and looks likely to make a full international appearance soon. Sarr has been hugely impressive since he broke through at OGC Nice.

The defender had already made over 100 appearances for the first team and cemented his spot in the starting eleven. West Ham will need to move fast to secure his signature, however, Sarr is attracting interest from Barcelona, Arsenal and Torino.

Despite a lot of competition, the Hammers could have a couple of advantages in the race to sign the prospect. West Ham could offer Sarr good wages and a guaranteed starting spot which could put them in the ascendency if Sarr wishes to develop his game further.

Ben White – Brighton & Hove Albion

LEEDS, ENGLAND – JULY 22: Ben White of Leeds United scores his team’s first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Leeds United and Charlton Athletic at Elland Road on July 22, 2020 in Leeds, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LEEDS, ENGLAND – JULY 22: Ben White of Leeds United scores his team’s first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Leeds United and Charlton Athletic at Elland Road on July 22, 2020 in Leeds, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

Forget Shane Duffy, Ben White is the Brighton defender West Ham should be chasing. With a price tag of around £50 million, the current Seagull would be the most expensive of the three options. The Englishman would fit into David Moyes’ new “Red Bull Project” perfectly.

White is young, English and has plenty of experience of competitive football from his loan at Leeds last season. The 22-year-old was crucial to Leeds United’s promotion last season and he has now attracted lost of interest from some of England’s top clubs.

As well as Leeds, there is interest in White’s signature from Chelsea and Liverpool. But like Sarr, West Ham could guarantee White decent wages and a platform to further develop his game as he will not be sat on a bench.

Next. Stuart Pearce returns to West Ham United. dark

It would be a shame to see Diop leave West Ham, especially as he would typically prove to be a brilliant Premier League centre-back. The Frenchman’s departure would not be the end of the world for the Hammers, as they will be able to bring a sizeable amount of cash that could be used to improve on him and strengthen the whole defence. Of course, this relies on the cahs being reinvested properly.