West Ham United face London club competition in race to sign Abdou Diallo
West Ham United will have to contest with fellow Londoners Fulham for the signature of defender Abdou Diallo, according to Ignazio Genuardi.
The 26-year-old was a rare feature of the Paris Saint-Germain side that won Ligue 1 at a canter last season and was also in the Senega squad that lifted the Africa Cup of Nations earlier in the year.
ExWHUEmployee reported via his Patreon account on 28 July that Diallo, whose brother Ibrahima plays for Southampton, is now one of the Irons’ top targets after first summer recruit Nayef Aguerd picked up an injury during pre-season.
He expects the French champions to ask for a transfer fee of around £17million but that could be very close to the price Issa Diop would leave the club for.
The issue is that Fulham are the team that want to sign the Frenchman too and they may only go for one which could mean the transfer future of West Ham is in the court of the Cottagers.
Limbo
It is difficult for the Hammers to be able to do anything in this instance because their fate almost hangs on Diop being sold but if Fulham opts to sign Diallo instead, it leaves them in quite the pickle.
Aguerd’s injury will rule him out for the start of the campaign but it shouldn’t be something that sees him unavailable for an entire year so there isn’t really need to panic buy another centre-half.
Craig Dawson and Kurt Zouma were both exceptional last season and the cover of Diop, for now, and Angelo Ogbonna is more than enough to get David Moyes through the period without the Moroccan at his disposal.
Diallo’s signing would be a big sign that the panic button has been hit at Rush Green and there is no need for it after three very good seasons at the London Stadium.
Everyone just needs to take a brief step back and reconsider whether their priorities are focused on the right things before moving forward with new offers.