Diop insists West Ham is ‘not a springboard’ for his career

Issa Diop has reiterated his commitment to West Ham and insists the club is ‘not a springboard’ for his career.

The French defender moved to the London Stadium in a then club-record £22m deal from Toulouse last summer, impressing at the heart of the club’s defence alongside Fabian Balbuena in his first season in English football.

The 22-year-old’s performances led to speculation he could leave the Premier League club last summer, with Manchester United reportedly monitoring his progress, however the centre-back insists he remains committed to Manuel Pellegrini’s side and is determined to continue his development at West Ham.

“West Ham, for me, it was not and is still not a springboard to go elsewhere, it’s the club where I want to try to become the best defender I can be, compared to my qualities,” he told France Football.

“Whether technical, tactical, physical, I still have a large margin of progression.”

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