West Ham boss David Moyes spoke to reporters after yesterday’s draw with Everton, and responded when asked to give his opinion on Issa Diop, as quoted by Football.London.
The Frenchman joined the Hammers from Toulouse in the summer of 2018 for a fee believed to be worth £22 million (BBC).
The 23-year-old, who earns £60k-a-week according to the Metro, really impressed during his debut season in the Premier League.
Diop has been in and out of the team this term, however.
The West Ham ace seems to have all the makings of a truly elite centre-back of the future, but there are undoubtedly aspects of his game that he must improve.
And David Moyes alluded to that when speaking to reporters yesterday, as quoted by Football.London:
“We played him at Gillingham and today and we wanted to see what he was about. I thought his extra pace would help us up against we expected Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison or Kean and he played well today. If you ask me, he still has development to do as a young centre half, he has a long way to go. But I am looking forward to working with him over the next couple of years.”
Moyes’s assessment of Diop is pretty much spot on. The young Frenchman certainly has the raw talent. But he needs to refine his skills somewhat.
The 23-year-old’s positional sense sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. And he needs to be more aggressive in the air and in the tackle.
It’s still very early days, however. West Ham have the makings of a real player on their hands. And it is no coincidence that so many of England’s top clubs have been linked with big-money moves for Diop this month.
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