Why Issa Diop would be a good loan signing for West Brom
According to The Sun (December 20; Page 65), West Brom are keen on securing a loan deal for out-of-favour West Ham centre-back Issa Diop.
The report claims that the Hammers are open to the prospect of sanctioning a temporary exit for the 24-year-old, who has started only thrice in the Premier League this season so far. Diop has been pushed further down the pecking order by the rise of Watford loanee Craig Dawson in recent weeks.
West Brom’s defensive woes
It was reported towards the end of the December that new Baggies boss Sam Allardyce is expected to prioritise a new centre-back in the January window. While West Brom have already raided Robert Snodgrass to bolster their attack, they are yet to bring in fresh faces to shore things up at the back.
The Midlands outfit roped in veteran Branislav Ivanovic and Cedric Kipre to add more depth to the defence this past summer after securing promotion to the Premier League. However, neither player has offered an awful lot so far. While Ivanovic has clearly looked past his prime, Kipre is yet to feature for the club in the Premier League.
Youngster Dara O’Shea and Semi Ajayi have done a decent job but Kyle Bartley has often struggled for consistency. With West Brom already conceding 43 goals in 19 games so far, it goes without saying that Allardyce needs more quality at the back to steer the club to safety heading into a crucial second half of the campaign.
Could Diop be the answer?
It’s true that Issa Diop has barely featured for West Ham in the Premier League this season. That represents a significant fall from grace for the centre-back, who started more than 30 league games for the Hammers in each of his last two seasons at the club. However, he remains a quality young defender with immense potential, despite his lack of involvement.
West Brom need a commanding presence at the heart of the defence to stem the inflow of goals and Diop could well be the man to provide that. The tall and powerful Frenchman already has a fair bit of experience in the Premier League and would surely come in handy for the Baggies if they were to consider him as a loan option before deadline.
Verdict
If West Brom are to bring in a new centre-back in January, they might as well look at players with Premier League experience under their belt. Issa Diop fits the bill in that regard and would surely come through the door as an instant upgrade on the club’s struggling defenders.
Read More:
- Why West Brom should take a punt on Cenk Tosun in January
- Why West Brom should go back in the market for Andre Gray
The Frenchman’s potential has been there for everyone to witness, meaning the Baggies could have a real asset in their battle against relegation if Allardyce manages to get the best out of him.
