Manchester United Willing To Pay £45m Plus Player For West Ham Defender Issa Diop

Manchester United are preparing to solve their defensive issues this summer as they are ready to pay up to £45m plus a player for Issa Diop.

According to Sky Sports, the Red Devils have made contact with West Ham United over a move for the 22-year-old French centre-back.

But the Hammers are reportedly ready to reject the offer and want at least £60m for the player.

And West Ham have a strong hand in the negotiations as Diop arrived last summer and his current deal expires in 2023.

The West Ham defender signed from Toulouse for a reported fee of £22m and has made 38 appearances across all competitions for Manuel Pellegrini's side.

Diop received strong words of endorsement from José Mourinho last season after his performance in West Ham's 3-1 win against United.

"[He had a] fantastic match," the ex-United manager told BT Sport at the time.

"Congratulations to the scout that found a 21-year-old kid Diop -- a monster who dominated in the duels."

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær is keen to fix the defensive crisis facing him at Old Trafford and bring in a first-choice centre-back.

The Red Devils have been linked with a move for Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly and have reportedly made an £84m bid for him.

But the Italian club refuse to let the 27-year-old world-class Senegalese defender leave for less than £100m.

Leicester City's Harry Maguire, who was linked with the club last summer, has once again emerged on United's radar.

But the 26-year-old English centre-back signed a new deal after the summer transfer window closed.

With his future tied down until 2023, the Foxes are demanding at least £80m from United.

Solskjær completed his first summer signing as United boss after landing Daniel James from Swansea City for an initial fee of £15m.

Should Solskjær bring Diop to Old Trafford in the summer?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football News, Football, Manchester United, red devils, Premier League, West Ham United, Ole Gunnar Solskjær

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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