West Ham have reinforced their position on Issa Diop this morning making it crystal clear to Manchester Unted and any other interested club home or abroad: “He is not for sale – end of.”
Diop was a major hit in his first Hammers season forging a brilliant partnership with Fabian Balbuena and is only one year into a five year contract following a £22 million transfer from Toulouse last summer.
Agents have been testing our resolve to hold onto him through Director of Football Mario Husillos and this morning via an e mail a top Hammers insider made the club’s position as clear as it gets to ClaretandHugh.
He said: “It’s very simple – he is going nowhere. He is a major part of the team and at his age is set to become an integral part of things at West Ham.”
Manchester United are ready to offer £45 million plus a player but that is in no way tempting the Irons where our source simply added: “Their interest is of no interest to us whatsover.”
This is the right stance , I believe Diop will be even better next season . We need to build our team around younger hungrier players . At the moment there are only two missing pieces Maxi Gomez and a defender ! Go all out for Gomez keep the squad together and we have a great chance of pushing up the table . Love Diop BTW ⚒
If we as a club intend to follow through with the ‘Big Club’ mindset and rhetoric; then it’s cases such as this that will define the belief in not just the fans but also the players. We have a genuine chance of overtaking Man Utd next year. Let’s push on and fulfill at least some of our clear potential.
It’s risk and reward. If we back Diop to be even better next season, that 50-60m offer becomes 80-100m and far more teams will be in for him. It’s a question of will this unsettle Issa, will he have his mind on West Ham? From what I’ve seen of him and the interviews I’ve read, he appears to be a very driven down to earth professional focused on improving.
Perhaps times are changing and no longer will young players jump at the chance to join the ‘big teams’ just because the offer is there. In my opinion, it takes far more confidence in ones ability to stay put and back yourself to be good enough in another 2-3 years for those clubs to come back in for you. Why spend the best years of your career as a bit part player when you can become the finished article and then move on? I’d question the motivation of such a player, obviously money would be the driving force.
Issa is young. He can become one of the absolute best by the age of 24-25.
Then how much is he worth?
Now that’s the way to say things not for sale end off …🙅🙅👍
Just hope the message hasn’t fallen on deaf ears . We have been raided far too often over the years by Clubs like Man Utd . We want to grow and be more competitive and West Hams stance is to be applauded .
COYHAMMERS
Pellegrini has had his transitional season and has built a base with diop balbuena and rice. Selling diop now would dismantle what pellegrini is building into the new season.
At least keep him for 1 more season, why sell him now when he is an appreciating asset.
Might as well sell the whole club to the Glazers if we sell one of our brightest stars