Liverpool have asked West Ham about the possibility of us signing Issa Diop before the transfer window closes on Sunday night.
That is according to the Athletic, who have analysed a number of potential signings the Reds could make this weekend – with Jurgen Klopp desperate to strengthen the centre of his defence.
However, the source suggests West Ham won’t loan Diop without an obligation to buy, which considering Liverpool will spend big on a more highly regarded central defender in the summer, likely makes the deal a no-go.
“Sources close to Issa Diop of West Ham United claim that Liverpool have enquired about the French defender who is out of favour in the capital after slipping to fourth in their pecking order of centre-backs. However, with the two clubs so close to each other in the table it’s unlikely that West Ham would sanction a loan unless it came with an obligation to buy. He would command a fee in excess of £20 million,” writes Mark Carey.
We like Diop, but he’s fourth choice under David Moyes and is not someone we should be splashing £20m+ on, in short.
If we can loan the Frenchman for a fee and no obligation to buy, we’d be all for it – but there’s no reason for West Ham to agree to such a deal – especially given our surprisingly close position in the table to each other…
At the moment, EOTK understand Shkodran Mustafi or Aaron Long are more likely arrivals. Neither especially exciting, but one of them will at least plug a gap for the time being.