Issa Diop asks to leave West Ham as Fulham near £15m deal for defender

Fulham are close to completing the £15m signing of West Ham centre-back Issa Diop.

The deal to take Diop to Craven Cottage is a major boost for Marco Silva, who has been looking for additions in central defence following his side’s promotion to the Premier League.

Fulham, who completed the signing of the Republic of Ireland centre-back Shane Duffy on a season-long loan from Brighton last week, have been locked in negotiations with West Ham for over a month. West Ham had been reluctant to let Diop leave after their new signing, Nayef Aguerd, was ruled out for up to three months following ankle surgery. However their hand was forced after Diop, who joined them from Toulouse for £22m in 2018, asked not to be involved when David Moyes’s side opened their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.

The Frenchman’s absence meant Kurt Zouma was West Ham’s only available centre-back against City. With Aguerd recovering from surgery, Craig Dawson ruled out with a hamstring injury and Angelo Ogbonna continuing his rehabilitation from a long-term knee injury, Moyes was forced to pair Zouma with the 21-year-old full-back Ben Johnson.

Diop decided he wanted to leave West Ham after being told that he would be their fifth choice centre-back this season. The 25-year-old has been given permission to have a medical at Fulham, who intend to make him their seventh summer signing.

Diop has had a mixed time at West Ham. He started well at the London Stadium. However, he has lacked consistency and not been a regular under Moyes. The money received for Diop will raise West Ham’s transfer budget. They still want a left-back, a centre-back and a midfielder. They are interested in Ibrahim Sangare, but the midfielder has just signed a