On 10th August 2022, the Club confirmed the signing of Issa Diop from West Ham United for an undisclosed fee on a five-year deal.
A towering, athletic defender, Diop came through the ranks at his local side Toulouse, making his senior debut for the side as an 18-year-old in November 2015.
He subsequently kept his spot in their backline for the remainder of the campaign, helping them to nine clean sheets in his 23 appearances.
A consistent presence again the following season, Diop skippered his club for the first time in a year which saw them finish 13th in Ligue 1, before being installed as full-time club captain in 2017/18, aged just 20.
After 95 appearances and six goals for Toulouse, Diop joined West Ham for a club record fee, reported at £22m, in June 2018.
Immediately installed as one of the first names on the teamsheet, Diop made 38 appearances in his maiden campaign in East London as the Hammers secured a top-half finish in the Premier League.
2019/20 was not as prosperous for the team, but they were on an upward trajectory following the appointment of David Moyes, with Diopplaying his part in sixth and seventh place finishes.
The highlight of 2021/22 was undoubtedly reaching the Semi-Finals of the Europa League, with Diop featuring in seven of their 12 fixtures.
He departed the London Stadium with a decent goal record, having found the net eight times in 119 appearances.
Diop has 40 international caps for France from Under-16 to Under-21 level, and was a key member of the side that won the 2016 Under-19 European Championship.
He scored in the Final – a 4-0 win over Italy – as well as being named in the team of the tournament, alongside the likes of Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Dias and Kylian Mbappé.
Source: Fulham FC