Everton have lost out to West Ham in the race to sign Issa Diop after he was unveiled on Tuesday night, according to the Evening Standard.
The regional newspaper claim the Merseysiders, Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla were all in hot pursuit of the towering centre-back before he agreed terms with the Londoners.
West Ham announced Diop, 21, as their second summer signing following Ryan Fredericks after they paid what the Standard report is a club-record fee of £22million, although the add-ons in the Marko Arnautovic deal could see it remain as the most expensive in their history.
West Ham United are delighted to confirm the signing of French defender Issa Diop!https://t.co/oYDBYo4flx
— West Ham United (@WestHam) June 19, 2018
OPINION
It is a measure of how far West Ham were willing to go to land Diop that they have shelled out their biggest initial fee ever – although the performance-related add-ons in Arnautovic’s deal could eventually see it leapfrog the capture of the Frenchman – and they saw off interest from some seriously well-heeled rivals. Everton and Dortmund are cash-rich clubs with the ambition and resources to blow the Hammers out of the water. Clearly, West Ham’s pitch to Diop was such that he felt his career path would be best advanced by a move to east London, where he has penned a five-year contract that reports from France have stated is worth £67,500-a-week. Decent money if you can get it. West Ham certainly believe Diop has the ability and stature to be a rock of the defence for years to come. He has already captained Toulouse and France Under-23s, and his performances in Ligue 1 in recent years are a testament to this maturity and class. Well played, Hammers.
