Premier League giants such as Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea are set to battle it out over signing Toulouse’s young defender Issa Diop.
According to a report by Tribal Football, the three clubs are touted as clear favourites to sign the French defender after a bid of €12 million from RB Leipzing was rejected by Toulouse.
Diop has been a sturdy defender for Toulouse, and the club knows that the Premier League is notorious for splashing a good amount of cash for their recruits, which probably explains why they rejected a bid from the Bundesliga runners-up.
The 20-year-old has been primed for a bright future and he has consistently been in good form for Toulouse, which is something that all three of his suitors need from a player. The trio have been watching the youngster and if reports are to be believed, they like what they see in him.
In fact, Diop has been one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise disappointing season for Toulouse. The France U-21 International came through the youth system at the Ligue 1 club before making his first-team debut in 2015
The player has made 24 Ligue 1 appearances during the 2016-17 campaign and was also a part of the France squad that won the European Under-19 Championship in 2016.
Antonio Conte, in particular, is said to be extremely impressed by the youngster. Chelsea will need to add to their defensive options and Diop – along with Andreas Christensen – will add to the competition.
Christensen, who is also 20, is rumoured to be a part of Conte’s first-team squad at Stamford Bridge next season, as his two-year loan spell with Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach comes to an end.
Manchester City have also shown quite a bit of interest in signing the French youngster. Pep Guardiola is an ardent admirer of how powerful Diop is during aerial feats, and his excellent reading of the game despite his nascent age of 20.
Arsenal have been tracking Diop’s progress for a long time now, and are now ready to table an official bid for the player. The youngster is also known to be very adjusting and can adapt to different positions very easily.
Arsene Wenger has been experimenting quite a bit with his back-line, and if they were to sign Diop, he can help by strengthening their defence even as Wenger plays around with the formation.
If reports are to be believed, Toulouse want to ensure that Diop goes to the best available club, and are holding out for a better offer for the central defender. With all three Premier League teams seeking a quality defender, it will be interesting to see who ultimately lands Issa Diop.