Report suggests Sevilla attempted to hijack West Ham’s Issa Diop move

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Premier League outfit West Ham United appear to have won the race for Ligue 1 star Issa Diop despite the best efforts of La Liga giants Sevilla.

West Ham appear close to announcing their first big-money signing of the summer with Issa Diop on his way from Toulouse.

L’Equipe state that The Hammers have agreed a £22 million fee for the 21-year-old centre-back with a deal likely to be completed at some point this week.

Diop is one of the most coveted defenders in European football, having previously been watched by the likes of Barcelona and Arsenal, with The Sun believing that West Ham have beat off competition from Premier League rivals Everton for his signature.

But it is not just The Toffees who will be left disappointed.

Spanish publication El Desmarque has reported that Sevilla made an attempt to hijack West Ham’s move for the France U21 ace with the La Liga giants desperate to strengthen at centre-back, particularly with Clement Lenglet heavily linked with Barcelona.

But the report adds that Sevilla offered a fee of around £13 million for Diop, almost half the amount that West Ham are expected to pay. Obviously, Toulouse were never going to shunt their fresh-faced captain to Andalucia for such a cut-price figure, so Sevilla will now be forced to enter the market for an alternative.

West Ham might already have pulled off one of the signings of the summer.