Mohamed Diame: The Adebayo Akinfenwa of the Premier League

This guy is the definition of the word, tank, and the former Wigan man stands at 1.84m and weighs around 80kg! Mohamed, commonly known as Mo is as strong as an ox, but he can also pick a pass, while his stamina is there for all to see.

Mo has played a vital role in West Ham’s success this season with his consistency gaining him many admirers. And just like Demba Ba – unfortunately for West Ham – Diame has a very low release clause: 4.1 million pounds. This put many big European clubs such as Arsenal, Newcastle, Lyon and Marseille on red alert. But despite this, no deal was finalised.

Diame looks the real deal: strong, quick and his technical ability is not bad either. He reminds one of a certain Patrick Vieira in his prime.

If I was the manager at, for example, Arsenal, I would definitely activate that release clause, with him sure to be hypnotized into playing Champions League football.

Despite the positives, Mo Diame is currently receiving 2.6 million pounds per year, which is approximately 50k per week. Big money if you ask me.

I feel the Senegalese defensive midfielder is ready for a step up to a better level after proving his worth at a mid-table level.

But why did Wigan let go him in the first place?

According to reports, Diame is thought to have a very poor attitude and is known for being a little greedy. These are sure to put off respectful managers.

Roberto Martinez once said that, ‘Momo is an excellent player, I’m sad to see him leave. (denying a fall out he said) No, no, me and Mo have never had such a thing, he is an excellent guy, although I hope he doesn’t show the attitude to Big Sam! Martinez gave this interview at the time when Diame had agreed a pre-contract with West Ham.

So it seems maybe he has a little too much cheek to put off bigger clubs and that’s the reason Wigan parted company with him.

But why West Ham of all places?

Well, in a recent interview Mo said, ‘The reason I chose West Ham was because their philosophy fits in with my style of play and they have good ambition and are a big club.’

French suitors were also interested before he joined West Ham, and to be honest, I was pretty surprised he didn’t move to his homeland. Either way, I can’t see Momo staying in the claret strip for much longer with his list of admirers growing rapidly.