West Ham United defender Issa Diop yet to finalise personal terms with Fulham
West Ham defender Issa Diop is currently undergoing his medical at Fulham, as per Dharmesh Sheth.
The Sky Sports journalist provided an update on Twitter on 9 August that the French defender is yet to finalise personal terms with the Cottagers.
The deal is expected to go through, thought to be in the region of £15 million.
Sheth suggests that Fulham must register him before midday on Friday so that he can play against Wolves on Saturday (13 August).
He wrote on Twitter: “Issa Diop is having a medical ahead of his £15m move from West Ham United to Fulham. Personal terms still to be finalised. Fulham must have him registered before midday on Friday to have him available for Saturday’s game at Wolves.”
Replacement
It seems Diop to Fulham is all but done.
The French defender spent four seasons at the London club and made over 120 appearances in all competitions.
He could have been a decent squad player, especially with Nayef Aguerd now injured. However, David Moyes probably has other ideas.
Diop dropped down the pecking order last season and failed to cement his position in the side even when Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma were both absent.
The 25-year-old would have struggled for regular games at the London Stadium, and West Ham have done the right thing by getting the best possible deal here.
There remains confusion about his transfer price. Foot Mercato journalist Dahbia Hattabi reported on Twitter on 8 August that the Hammers have reached an agreement with Fulham for around £17 million, but in England journalists like Sheth and The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg suggest it’s around £15 million.
The Hammers should now reinvest the money into the squad and sign another centre-back at the earliest. The club also need to add another left-back as well.