According to Claret & Hugh, West Ham scouts travelled to Greece to watch the progress of Pape Abou Cisse on Sunday. But, they were left disappointed as the defender did not feature in Olympiacos’ game against AEK Athens. But, the defender, himself, has revealed that the Hammers were one of the few clubs who were interested in securing his services in the summer.
Why is Cisse such a sought-after defender in Europe?
Cisse has been a part of Olympiacos since January 2017, when he joined the club from AC Ajaccio. Although he didn’t feature in a single match during his debut campaign in Greece, his 17 appearances during the 2017/18 season helped Olympiacos finish third, behind PAOK and AEK.
Since then, Cisse has become a key component of the Olympiacos backline, having already notched up 54 competitive appearances for the Greek giants. Although the Senegalese defender has failed to help his club lift the Greek Super League in any of his three seasons at Piraeus, his contributions in defence have been critical.
Last season, in particular, Cisse made 19 appearances as the club from Attica narrowly missed out on the league title. His performances also helped him earn his first cap for the Senegalese national team in October of last year.
Can Cisse add the solidity in the West Ham defence?
West Ham have stuttered a little in recent weeks despite enjoying a promising start to the campaign, and it is mainly due to their lack of defensive solidity. The centre-backs have often failed to track the opponent’s runner while the marking has also been pretty awful.
Issa Diop has done well and has been one of the busiest defenders in the league. But, the youngster can be beaten quite easily at times while Angelo Ogbonna has struggled with inconsistency as well. As for Fabian Balbuena, his development under Pellegrini has been derailed. The Paraguayan has featured in only three league matches so far.
Cisse, in that regard, could be a welcome addition to the squad. The Senegalese international can be considered as an alternative for Ogbonna. His towering 1.97m figure could combine well with Diop, who also stands at 1.94. This will give West Ham a considerable advantage in both ends of the pitch.
Moreover, Cisse’s no-nonsense style of defending bodes well for Pellegrini’s pragmatic approach and at the age of 24, he could be a smart long-term investment for the Hammers.
