Soccer

Transfer news: West Ham centre back Issa Diop joins Shane Duffy at Fulham

Chelsea defender Malang Sarr joins Ligue 1 side Monaco on loan

West Ham United's French defender Issa Diop has joined Fulham. Photograph: Getty Images

Wed Aug 10 2022 - 20:07

Issa Diop says he is ready to start a new chapter of his career after joining Fulham from West Ham.

The 25-year-old centre-back has agreed a move to Craven Cottage on a five-year deal. He joins days after Brighton’s Irish international centre back Shane Duffy signed a season-long loan deal with the London club. Duffy came off the bench during Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

Diop made 121 appearances for the Hammers during his four-year stint at the club and was a key figure in their run to the Europa League semi-finals last season.

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“I’m very happy, very happy to join Fulham, I hope it’s going to be a very good chapter of my career,” Diop told the Fulham website.

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“It’s all official now, so I’m happy. I just want to train with the team now, and let’s get to work.”

Diop, who has represented France at youth level, moved to the Hammers from his boyhood club Toulouse in the summer of 2018. “I’m very excited that we’ve brought Issa Diop to Fulham,” vice-chairman Tony Khan said.

“Issa is a talented and imposing defender whom we’ve pursued for a long time, and his experience and formidable presence will be important to our squad in this Premier League season and for us to build a bright future in the years ahead.”

Meanwhile Chelsea defender Malang Sarr has joined Ligue 1 side Monaco on a season-long loan.

The 23-year-old made 21 first-team appearances for the Blues last season across all competitions, eight of them coming in the Premier League, but has left for a second loan spell in search of regular first-team football.

Although Chelsea have lost both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen from their central defensive options this summer, they have signed Kalidou Koulibaly and continue to be linked with other targets.

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Sarr, who signed for Chelsea two years ago from Nice, spent the 2020-21 campaign with Porto, where he made 19 appearances, six of them in the Champions League.

Sarr had multiple offers to leave on loan last term too, but opted to stay at Stamford Bridge. He made his first-team debut in the Carabao Cup penalty shoot-out win over Aston Villa in September before starting the 1-0 Premier League win over Brentford in October.

Sarr also appeared as a substitute in both of Chelsea’s matches in the Fifa Club World Cup when they beat Palmeiras to lift the trophy in Abu Dhabi in February.

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