Why signing West Ham’s Issa Diop would ease Arsenal’s issues in defence

According to Daily Mirror, Arsenal are plotting a summer move for West Ham United defender Issa Diop.

Despite West Ham’s poor form this season, Diop has been a standout performer for the side since arriving from Toulouse in 2018. Now with the summer transfer market around the corner, Arsenal and new boss Mikel Arteta have shown interest in the tall centre-back.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have had a lacklustre campaign, with the side currently sitting at 9th place in the Premier League table. One of the main reasons for Arsenal’s uninspiring show this season has been an inconsistent and weak defence that has conceded as many as 36 goals from 28 matches.

Arsenal, in a bid to improve their defence, had earlier roped in David Luiz and Kieran Tierney last summer, along with William Saliba who was sent back on loan. However, it has not made a difference as Arsenal have failed to put up consistent displays at the back.

Experienced defender Luiz, until recent games, found it difficult to adjust to the new surroundings at the Emirates. Also, luck seems to not favour Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi, who have been below-par in their performance. Rob Holding, meanwhile, has been sitting out for the most part of the season due to injury.

Having said that, it’s not a surprise that Arsenal are keeping tabs on a young defender like Diop. Since arriving at the London Stadium, Diop has established himself as a first-choice centre-back. Diop played 33 of their 38 matches last season and has already appeared in 23 games for the side this season.

He has also chipped in for the East London club with three goals this season, improving upon his last season’s tally of just one goal. To date, he has made a total of 56 league appearances and has 10 clean sheets to his name. Diop’s mere numbers show that he has been growing in stature and at 23 years of age, he has plenty of time to develop.

Read more:

• Why Arsenal should consider offloading Sokratis in the summer
• Why Arsenal must snap up PSG’s Layvin Kurzawa this summer
• Why Arsenal should do everything possible to sign Miguel Almiron

Verdict

Arsenal’s struggles at the back have been clearly evident this season and it is paramount that they sign a defender who could ease their issues in defence. Diop has been a regular performer and at such a young age, he has plenty of time to improve under Arteta if the deal materializes.

However, given the fact that West Ham face a relegation threat, it remains to be seen how much they would charge for their young defender.