Arsenal FC Opinion: Why Arsenal should go all out to sign Issa Diop?
Arsenal need defensive reinforcements in the summer window and that’s something Unai Emery should prioritise.
Emery inherited from Arsene Wenger an unbalanced squad. The team had attacking riches but the defence was astonishingly poor to challenge for the title. Despite adding Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who undoubtedly has been their best defender this season, the Gunners appear so dysfunctional at the back.
Laurent Koscielny had been out during the beginning of the season following an Achilles tendon rupture. Although he has done well since returning back from the injury, the fact is the Frenchman is 33 and is clearly past his prime.
So are Nacho Monreal and Stephan Lichtsteiner. Both 33 and 35 respectively are deadwood Emery needs to offload in the summer. And then there is Shkodran Mustafi, who has been more of a miss than a hit for the Gunners since joining from Valencia in 2016.
Looking at the current scenario, Arsenal need a complete defensive overhaul which will take at least two to three transfer windows.
Emery needs to bring in young, promising defenders that can come in and make an instant impact at the club. With Calum Chambers set to return from Fulham in summer and Konstantinos Mavropanos waiting in the wings for his chances, the Arsenal manager would be wise to add a new centre-half in the form of West Ham’s Issa Diop.
Issa Diop, 22, joined West Ham from Toulouse in last summer’s transfer window and has been an inspired addition to Manuel Pellegrini’s squad. The Frenchman has featured in 28 league games for the Hammers this term, establishing himself as an integral part of manager Pellegrini’s plans.
The 22-year-old has impressed with his game-reading and tackling skills this season, whilst also showing that he has the physicality, positional awareness and the aerial ability to deal with quality strikers.
While Issa Diop is defensively sound, he has so much more to his list of growing skills which also includes great tactical presence and recovery pace.
Capable of playing out from the back, the former France youth international is a defender who has the ability to chip in with crucial goals as he has shown this season at West Ham. Diop’s towering presence and power make him an asset at both ends of the pitch. But at the moment, he is far from being a finished product
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Emery could be the right man to
Hence, Emery should not hesitate to splash the cash to bring Diop to the Emirates this summer in a bid to solve their defensive crisis.
