West Bromwich Albion have been linked with a January swoop for Issa Diop and, speaking to HITC, Emile Heskey thinks the West Ham defender would benefit from a loan spell at the Hawthorns.
If Sam Allardyce had any misgivings about the size of the task facing him in the Midlands, Sunday’s 3-0 thumping at home by Aston Villa will have felt like a brutal reality check.
Anwar El Ghazi, Bertrand Traore and the mercurial Jack Grealish ripped apart a West Brom side who have now conceded 29 times in 14 matches.
In fact, the 3-0 scoreline flattered the Baggies more than it did a Villa side who wasted a hat-full of chances on the night.
Only Marcelo Bielsa’s perennially-porous Leeds United side have been breached more frequently in 2020/21 than a team who sacked Slaven Bilic last week after a dismal start to the campaign.
The January window does offer an opportunity to improve Allardyce’s rather callow roster, however, with The Sun (20 December, page 65) suggesting that West Brom could turn to the seldom-seen Diop to plug the defensive gaps.
West Ham are keen to get a £67,000-a-week benchwarmer off the wage bill.
And Heskey believes 23-year-old Diop could only benefit from honing his talents under a manager who prides himself upon creating an organised, well-drilled backline.
“It’s a good move. ‘Big Sam’ knows about defending, he’ll want someone who’s solid, can win the headers and who can command the defence,” the former England international explains.
“It would be good for (West Brom). If it’s a loan, it’s good for the player as well.
“If he’s going to sit on the bench he might as well go out and play, regardless of if it’s in a relegation battle.
“100 per cent (joining West Brom would benefit Diop) – working under someone who’s fought those battles (in Allardyce).”
Diop was linked with a £60 million move to Manchester United as recently as 2019 so, while his stock has clearly fallen considerably, there is unquestionably a hugely talented footballer in there somewhere (Sky).
If the former Toulouse captain can rediscover the form he showed in his first season at the London Stadium, he’d stroll into West Brom’s starting XI while barely breaking sweat.
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