Arsenal are being linked with a £60 Million move to sign the West Ham central defender Issa Diop this summer, but is there any room in the squad for him at present?
With the Premier League season having been curbed (for now at least), the rumour mill is already beginning to pick up pace. Much of that so far has been aimed at defenders and today is no different.
Issa Diop is no doubt a stand-out star in the Hammers defence, and the £60 Million fee doesn’t really scream he’s moving to Arsenal, nor am I certain that he would be a guaranteed starter for us next season.
Arsenal’s forgotten man William Saliba is still waiting to join the club after his move from Saint-Etienne last summer, due to our agreement to loan him back to his former club as part of the deal.
Despite injuries this term, the soon-to-be 19 year-old has put in a number of solid displays in Ligue 1, as well as playing a key role in the club’s run to the French cup final (which may or may not go ahead now).
Saliba was tipped for a starring role in our defence had he joined last summer, and will no doubt be commanding a spot now, while are also being linked with the young Brazilian defender Bruno Fuchs, and have an option to buy current on-loan centre-back Pablo Mari also (who has impressed recently).
Shelling out £60 Million on Diop would be a nice show of intent by the board, but it isn’t really our forte to make such statements, and we already have a host of defensive options already.
If Diop better than all our current options? Would he fit into Arteta’s playing style?
Patrick