Frank McAvennie: West Ham to make big January transfer push if Issa Diop heads off to AFCON
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Frank McAvennie suggests West Ham will make major moves to sign a new centre-back in January if Issa Diop heads off to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Diop, 24, was born in Toulouse, France, and has represented his country of birth at every youth level from Under-16s to Under-21s.
But he is yet to make his debut for the senior side and that has opened the door to Senegal or Morocco [Claret and Hugh] ahead of Africa’s showpiece tournament which begins next month (9 January) and concludes four weeks later (6 February).
Diop is eligible to play for Morocco through his mother and Senegal through his father, and featuring for either could see him at least five West Ham fixtures.
When asked if David Moyes will be desperate to sign a replacement if Diop is called up for either side, McAvennie said: “I would think so.
“This Africa Cup of Nations, there are a few players going, some teams will be missing more influential players, Liverpool have got a couple of players (Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane).
“Diop has got himself into form and he’s a good player.”
Bare bones?
It would be pretty catastrophic for the Irons if Diop does opt to play at the Africa Cup of Nations.
First-choice centre-back duo Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma could both be out for a long time, with the former sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Liverpool last month (7 November) and the latter taken off against Chelsea on Saturday (4 December).
That leaves Craig Dawson and Diop as Moyes’ only senior central defenders, and he would surely have to sign at least two in January if Diop departs.
The £22million [BBC] man could miss games against Watford (28 December), Crystal Palace (1 January), Leeds United X2 (8 January, 16 January) and Manchester United (22 January).
Clubs are duty-bound to release players after the Boxing Day fixtures.
In other West Ham news, Jim White has shot down Hammers fury over London Stadium concerns.
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