West Ham Set £75m Price Tag for Issa Diop as Man Utd Player Offered in Exchange Deal Is Revealed
West Ham have slapped a £75m price tag on centre back Issa Diop after learning that Manchester United were interested in signing the defender this summer.
It emerged last week that Diop was the latest name on a long list of targets for Ole Gunnar Solkjaer's side ahead of their summer rebuild, with the club reportedly set to offer £45m in a player plus cash deal ahead of the new season.
But The Telegraph are now claiming that West Ham want to deter any bids for Diop this summer by setting a £75m price tag for the 22-year-old, who arrived at the club just 12 months ago in a £22.5m deal from Toulouse.
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It's been suggested in France that Manchester United have already seen a bid for the defender rejected by West Ham, with the club desperate to hold onto the Under-21 international for at least another season.
The Hammers are eager to build their squad following Diop and Felipe Anderson's arrival last summer, with their first signing this year being a £25m deal for former Arsenal target Pablo Fornals.
As part of United's original player plus cash offer, it's been added by The Sun that defender Phil Jones was included alongside their £45m bid in an attempt to entice West Ham into a sale.
The 27-year-old only signed a new contract at Old Trafford in February, but after making just 18 appearances in the Premier League last season, United's hierarchy would be willing to use Jones as a makeweight if it meant upgrading their first-team this summer.
But West Ham aren't interested in bringing Jones to the club, and instead The Independent claims the club have boldly demanded that Anthony Martial is used in United's player-plus-cash offer instead, although that request won't fly with Ed Woodward.
Manchester United have also been linked with a move for Leicester City defender Harry Maguire for the second summer in a row, but just like West Ham, the Foxes will be demanding a similar £75m fee, if not even more.
