Manchester United want West Ham star, a good deal?

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Kolkata, August 19: If rumours in England are to be believed, Manchester United have re-ignited their interest in their long-term transfer target Issa Diop.

Former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho was a huge admirer of the Frenchman and wanted him at Old Trafford during his time at the club.

It is presumed that West Ham United are ready to part ways with their star defender if their valuation of £45m is matched as David Moyes is also looking to strengthen his squad, but is tight on funds.

In this articke, we weigh the pros and cons of Diop if United were to sign him.

Style of play

Diop is more of an old-school central defender who is not typically renowned for his ball-playing ability. He is pretty much a no-nonsense defender although considering the fact that he plays for a team that finished 16th this season, it is hard to judge his ability on the ball. The Frenchman has averaged 1 tackle, 1.7 interceptions and 5.3 clearances per 90 minutes this season from which we can understand that he likes to play it safe.

An upgrade on Victor Lindelof?

Lindelof has had a mixed three-year spell at Old Trafford since he signed for the Red Devils from Benfica back in 2017. Diop excels in the departments where Lindelof lacks and while it would be wrong to term him as an upgrade of Lindelof, he would certainly add a completely new dimension to the United defence and would probably complement skipper Harry Maguire better.

A good deal?

£45m used to be a lot of money a few years back, but nowadays the transfer market has become so much inflated, that it has now become a commonplace to see teams asking for such ludicrous amounts for their best players. Unless the Red Devils manage to sign elite defenders like Kalidou Koulibaly or Diego Carlos, a move for Diop makes sense as he is young and also Premier League proven.