Almost Agreed: £67,000-a-week PL star set to join Arsenal

Arsenal are plotting a swoop for West Ham’s Issa Diop as manager Mikel Arteta sets about ironing out their defensive deficiencies.

In spite of the Hammers’ struggles, centre-half Diop has impressed since arriving from Ligue 1 side Toulouse in the summer of 2018.

And as Mikel heads towards his first transfer market as Gunners boss, he believes the Frenchman could help solve a problem that his side has had for years.

Diop has already drawn interest from Manchester United during his time in England but the Hammers co-owner David Sullivan issued a strong hands-off warning to the Red Devils’ bosses.

However, Arsenal are prepared to test the Eastenders’ resolve and there is a belief that if David Moyes’s side fail to beat the drop that they could get the star on the cheap with him likely to seek a transfer away from the London Stadium.

The 23-year-old still has three years to run on his deal at West Ham from June.