*Diop Can't Wait For Zouma

Hammers have done remarkably well, last season and so far this season, the bedrock of Hammers surprising surge to becoming a genuine top six club has been the club's stoic defence, as well as it's astonishing counter attacking prowess. However, the 'bedrock' while being formidable is approaching it's limit as both centre backs are in or are approaching the twilight of their careers.

Angelo Ogbonna is turning 34 at the end of the season and Craig Dawson 32, given the demands of the Barclays Premier League it is unrealistic to expect the pair to continue performing week in week out, especially when factoring in the added games as a result of the team qualifying for the group stage of the Europa league, even though they have done so WITHOUT the need to engage in any of the draining pre-qualifying matches that have been the bane of British clubs in the past.

On Friday the club's Europa League group stage opponents will be revealed, and whoever they are, the need for reinforcements will NOT go away. To this purpose, David Moyes has doggedly pursued his main targets, which have never changed since the beginning of the summer transfer window.

Kurt Zouma was Moyes' preferred centre back option, and despite initially being knocked back and 'making enquiries' about a whole host of other centre backs, it appears that Moyes has finally got his man, Zouma has been pictured travelling for his West Ham medical, with the club scheduled to announce his signing of a five year deal imminently.

For many fans the jury is still out regarding Issa Diop, he has in our opinion been unfairly judged for his apparent drop in form from when he first arrived at the club. It is easy to forget how young Diop is, and how he was embroiled in some bitter relegation fights instead of plying his trade in the upper echelons of the Barclays Premier League!

Zouma could become Diop's mentor and co-conspirator in the 'dark arts' of defending, the fact that they share the same native language and have trained together for France before cannot be underestimated and if all goes well they could form a centre back pairing for the next FIVE years! Diop certainly thinks so, that's according to his instagram account* on which he says: "J'ai hâte que mon frère rejoigne l'équipe", which means I can't wait for my brotther to join the team.

It will be interesting to see just how David Moyes (a) integrates Zouma into the current first team and (b) oversees the 'conjoining' of Zouma and Diop into becoming formidàblè - Ed

*There are several Issa Diop instagram accounts and now West Ham have officially confirmed to us, since our publishing of this article, that this 'comment' has not actually come from Issa's personal account. We are glad to make the correction, although we are sure he would agree with the sentiment.