Fulham Have Added Another New Name to the Roster

Fulham are seven first-team players heavier after agreeing to a reported £15m fee for West Ham United defender, Issa Diop.

Issa Diop joins, Joao Palhinha, Andreas Pereira, Manor Solomon, Kevin Mbabu, Bernd Leno, and Shane Duffy as the London club’s summer additions. The Craven Cottage outfit got off to a flying start when they entertained Liverpool to a 2-2 draw on Saturday past, on the opening weekend of the Premier League football.

It could have been a lot better for them and they could have easily picked up all three points against the Reds. Sadly, they conceded two easy and cheap goals, hence the reason the club has brought in additional protection for the backline in Issa Diop.

The club released a statement of the transfer with an undisclosed fee, while The Athletic believes the total amount to be around £15m with no additional costs included in the transfer. The Frenchman has signed a five-year deal, keeping him at Craven Cottage until 2027.

"Fulham have confirmed the signing of Issa Diop from West Ham United.The former France Under-21 international joins for a fee understood to be worth £15million, with no add-ons.The 25-year-old centre back completed a medical at Motspur Park on Tuesday and has signed a five-year contract.(Via: theathletic.com)"

It Was Time for Diop to Leave West Ham United

After making the switch from Ligue 1 side Toulouse, Diop only displayed glimpses of his brilliance while in East London on a few occasions. He went from making 35-plus appearances for West Ham in his first two seasons to making just 21 and 26 appearances, respectfully, in his follow-up campaigns.

Unfortunately, once the Hammers added Kurt Zouma to their ranks, Issa’s game time has become more limited. The signs were always there, that his time at the London Stadium was drawing to a close.

Last summer already, he was linked with a summer exit, but nothing materialised with the Hammers opting to keep him on for one more season rather. Now they have cashed in and all parties involved are winners in this transfer.

Fulham Were in Need of More Defensive Options

Despite a mammoth 106 goals scored last season in the EFL Championship, the Cottagers still conceded the third most goals with 43 conceded, out of the top-five finishing clubs.

This coupled with the fact it took Jurgen Klopp’s men just 16 minutes to score two goals and Fulham lose their lead twice in the game, better defensive options were needed. This is why the inclusion of the French defender, who showed world-class promise while at Toulouse, makes all the sense in the world.

Issi Diop on his move to Fulham:

"I’m very happy, very happy to join Fulham. I hope it’s going to be a very good chapter of my career.It’s all official now, so I’m happy. I just want to train with the team now, and let’s get to work.(via: fulhamfc.com)"

Next up for them is a Premier League outing against Wolves on the road. The Wanderers got off to a questionable start, losing 2-1 to an improved Leeds United side.