Issa Diop has been continually linked with a move away from West Ham United.

On the chalkboard

First it was Manchester United who were said to be interested, now it is Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, with a £60m fee mooted.

But is the Frenchman, who cost the Hammers a then-club record £22m, really worth it?

Per WhoScored, he has made 23 Premier League appearances this season, and on the face of it his defensive contribution has been acceptable.

He has averaged one tackle per game, 1.7 interceptions, one foul - rather cancelling out the tackles - 5.3 clearances, and 0.8 blocks. He is dribbled past 0.3 times and has won 2.7 aerial duels per game.

He has also scored three goals and received eight yellow cards.

Did he really play for us?! No West Ham fan has managed to name all of these obscure Irons signings....

Manager David Moyes, though, sounded a note of caution over his progress earlier this season.

Speaking after a 1-1 draw with Everton in January, he said, per Football.London: “If you ask me, he still has development to do as a young centre half, he has a long way to go.

“But I am looking forward to working with him over the next couple of years.”

It should be remembered that Diop is only 23, despite the figures being thrown around, and any move would come at an early stage in his career.

Not there yet

While WhoScored's stats paint a picture, it must be said that Diop isn't quite at the top level yet.

Since the clash with Everton, he has played seven games. West Ham have conceded 16 goals in that time, with Diop unable to stop the flow.

Add into that the fact that he has a tackle success rate of just 54%, per the Premier League, and it becomes clear there are some weaknesses to address. Diop also has a passing accuracy of just 78.8% - Arsenal's average is 84% for their players.

The Gunners, per the aforementioned Metro report, are said to be looking for a player who is good in one-on-one situations; Diop's tackle success rate proves that is not his strong point. To emphasise that, Shkodran Mustafi has a tackle success rate of 73%.

He has also been benched four times this season and was excluded from the squad for games against Chelsea and Wolves in November and December respectively. Moyes and his predecessor, Manuel Pellegrini, clearly aren't entirely convinced.

It should be clear, then, that the ex-Sunderland boss is right; Diop has some developing to do, especially before he is worth £60m.

Meanwhile, West Ham have a clear plan for the summer!