Just weeks after featuring in Morocco’s historic 2022 World Cup run, center back Issa Diop has sealed a cross-Premier League move, signing with newly promoted Ipswich Town from Fulham. The transfer was officially confirmed by Ipswich on Wednesday, with the 29-year-old defender putting pen to paper on a four-year contract. While the club has not publicly disclosed the transfer fee, multiple industry reports peg the deal at a reported £8.5 million, equal to roughly $11.4 million.
Born in France, Diop built his early international career through France’s youth and Under-21 national teams, before a change to FIFA’s eligibility rules allowed him to switch his senior international allegiance to Morocco in March 2022, thanks to his family connections to the North African nation. That switch set the stage for his spot in Morocco’s groundbreaking World Cup squad, which became the first African nation to reach the tournament’s semi-finals.
During Morocco’s six-game World Cup campaign, Diop started in five matches, including the dramatic round of 32 clash against the Netherlands. In that game, he scored a stoppage-time header to level the score, sending the match to penalties where Morocco ultimately upset the Dutch side to advance. Morocco’s run ended in the quarterfinals with a 2-0 defeat to Diop’s native France.
The transfer to Ipswich marks the third Premier League club for Diop, who spent four seasons apiece at West Ham United and Fulham earlier in his professional career. He now joins an Ipswich side that earned promotion to the top flight of English football for the 2024-2025 season, bolstering their defensive lineup ahead of their return to top-tier competition.