Arsenal are interested in signing Issa Diop this summer, particularly if West Ham United end up going down to the Championship.

Issa Diop (Photo via Twitter / IssaDiop97)
Issa Diop (Photo via Twitter / IssaDiop97)

The Mirror claim Mikel Arteta thinks Diop could help solve the defensive struggles at Arsenal.

Manchester United have also shown an interest in the past, but the Gunners are now ready to make an offer. They believe they could complete a deal on the cheap if West Ham go down. If David Moyes’ side stay up, however, they’d want around £45m for Diop.

It’s hard to judge Diop on his performances for West Ham this season, as they’ve made a terrible defensive unit. Only Southampton, Aston Villa and Norwich City have conceded more goals.

Fortunately for them, the current postponement of the season could help them avoid relegation anyway. Despite only sitting above the bottom three by a measly three goals, they may benefit from a void campaign allowing them to stay up.

Reports from October suggested Arsenal were keeping close tabs on Diop. Assuming that’s true, the move is more likely to come from the club than Arteta specifically. The decision on what happens to the rest of the season could be pivotal here.