West Ham want Toulouse's Diop

West Ham want to sign France Under-21 captain Issa Diop from Toulouse.
The £20million-rated central defender is being monitored by several Premier League clubs. But it is the Hammers who are putting in the really hard yards in a bid to beat their rivals to his signature.
Diop, capped by Le Bleus all the way through their age groups, has two years to run on his contract with his hometown club.
He has long been monitored by several clubs in England, including Arsenal and Tottenham, in France, where Monaco have tried to sign him, and in Italy, with Inter Milan wanting to take him.
Barcelona have also shown an interest but Diop knows opportunities will, for now at least, be limited at the Non Camp and that has opened the door for West Ham.
New boss Manuel Pellegrini is a huge fan of the imposing centre-half and is determined to get a deal done.
As well as France, Diop, a product of the academy at Toulouse, qualifies for Senegal through his grandfather Libasse Diop, the first Senegalese footballer to play in the French top flight.
Issa Diop made his Ligue 1 debut three years ago and has made nearly 100 games for Toulouse since then.

(Image: AFP/Getty)