Chelsea are hoping to pip Tottenham to the signing of West Ham defender Issa Diop and are planning a £40m bid for the Frenchman.
That’s according to the Daily Express, who claim that the Blues are poised to make their move for the 22-year-old, who is Frank Lampard’s top defensive target this month.
Diop signed for West Ham back in June 2018 and was also linked with a move to Manchester United over the summer after an impressive first season in England.
However, it looks as if it is just the Blues and Spurs in for Diop this time around, with no sign of the Red Devils’ interest in the recent report.
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If Chelsea can tie up a deal for Diop in the region of £40m, it would probably be viewed as a great piece of business by Blues officials.
At 22, Diop already has 18 months of Premier League experience under his belt and will only get better under the guidance of Lampard, who has worked wonders with the likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Reece James and Fikayo Tomori.
A move for Diop, statistically, would also be a smart one.
Stats via Whoscored.com show that Diop holds his own against Chelsea regulars Fikayo Tomori and Kurt Zouma and even has the edge in certain departments.
He’s averaged 3.7 clearances a game in the Premier League compared to Tomori’s 2.5, while also making more successful tackles than Zouma, 1.2 to Zouma’s 1.
The West Ham star also averages 1.4 offsides won each game in the top flight, with Tomori and Zouma averaging less with 0.4 and 0.3 respectively.
Diop would be a strong option to rival the Chelsea defence, and Lampard will be hoping a deal can gather pace over the coming days.
