Can Issa Diop grow into West Ham talisman?

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West Ham defender signed for £22million (BBC) in the summer from Toulouse and he looks like an incredible investment for the club.

The centre-back has quickly established himself as a regular in the starting XI and must be one of the first names on the team sheet of boss Manuel Pellegrini.

But could the 21-year-old develop into the manager’s most important player in time at the London Stadium?

Diop delivered another masterclass on Saturday to help the Hammers earn an impressive 3-0 away victory at St James’ Park against Newcastle.

Javier Hernandez (two) and Felipe Anderson chipped in with the goals to help the London club earn three points in the Premier League.

West Ham were equally as impressive in defence as going forward against Newcastle and a lot of credit has to go down to the rock solid Diop in the heart of defence.

The Frenchman pocketed centre-forward powerhouse Salomon Rondon and showed he’s go the physicality to cope in English football.

His positioning and reading of the game was excellent throughout, something which shows his maturity and he also has general Fabian Balbuena acting as a calming influence alongside him.

Diop is still a developing talent that needs to improve, but all the signs are there that he’s a top-class talent and