West Ham unlikely to entertain bids for Newcastle United target

West Ham United are unlikely to entertain bids for Newcastle United target Issa Diop, football.london reports.

Diop was largely out-of-favour at the start of the season, but he has started the last six Premier League games after injuries to Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma.

Ogbonna has been ruled out of the campaign after knee surgery. Zouma is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury but could return in four weeks.

It was recently claimed by L’Equipe that the Magpies could test the Hammers’ resolve with a bid between €10-12 million for the 24-year-old defender.

While Diop is open to the potential transfer, it is now reported that the Hammers have no plans of parting ways with him amid their ongoing injury crisis.

Our view:

Diop and Craig Dawson have started at the heart of the defence for the past six league games. They are the only senior centre-backs available to David Moyes.

Another potential injury could lead to a severe crisis for the Hammers. They may have to rely on their academy graduates Aji Alese and Jamal Baptiste.

While Zouma could return after the winter break, Moyes will surely be eyeing another experienced centre-back to spurs the club’s Champions League push.

Amidst this, it appears unlikely that the Hammers will even entertain the talk of Diop leaving. The Frenchman may drop down the pecking order when Zouma returns.

However, he may need to wait until the summer to pursue a fresh challenge. He will enter the final year of his contract in July, and an exit could be a possibility then.

Meanwhile, the Magpies are desperately searching for a new central defender. Their pursuit of Lille’s Sven Botman has reached a standstill over the past few days.

The Tyneside outfit could now focus on other options. Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile has been linked lately. They recently made their first winter signing in Kieran Trippier.

The Magpies’ new Saudi owners are expected to spend significant sums this month as they look to boost the club’s survival prospects in the Premier League.