Manchester City reportedly agreed to sign Issa Diop from Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse but he headed to the Premier League with West Ham United instead.
Issa Diop turned down a move to Manchester City last summer before completing a £23 million move to West Ham United, according to Les Violets.
The prospect of playing under the legendary Pep Guardiola for the Premier League champions might appeal to most players in world football but not Diop who might have been concerned about a potential lack of game time at the Etihad Stadium.
The report claims that Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse had agreed to sell their captain to the Manchester giants before West Ham came calling, leaving City frustrated and getting their hands on one of the most exciting young defensive talents in Europe.
The report states that Diop would’ve gone back to Toulouse on loan, but instead the Frenchman wanted to move to West Ham immediately and cut his teeth in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old Frenchman has certainly shown why City wanted him in the last few months, producing another solid performance at the heart of Manuel Pellegrini’s backline as The Hammers restricted Premier League leaders Liverpool to a narrow draw on Monday night.
It remains to be seen how long West Ham can hang onto Diop however. Defensive talents like him are not easy to come by in the modern era and many of Europe’s top clubs could do with a potentially world-class centre half in their ranks.
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