Manchester City are one of a number of clubs which have “concretely expressed interest” in Toulouse central defender Issa Diop, according to L’Equipe (cited by Sport Witness). The club made their interest clear to the Ligue 1 club earlier in the summer, along with Roma and Porto.
This may have been during the period City were working hard to bring in another defender following last year’s troubles at the back, but The Blues did generally seem to be looking at more high-profile targets, including Aymeric Laporte of Athletic Club and Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci. Eventually, they got their man in the form of John Stones from Everton, seemingly putting an end to the search for a defender.
Another option would be that The Blues are looking at Diop as an option for the future, with both Nicolas Otamendi and Vincent Kompany aging and Jason Denayer seemingly set to leave the club.
The 19-year-old Toulouse defender only made his Ligue 1 defender for the club last year, but went on to start 21 times in the middle after playing the full match in a 2-0 win over Nice last November. He got his first league goal in a 3-0 win at Troyes the following month. This season he’s already made two starts, and has equalled last season’s goal tally after getting one in a 4-1 at home to Bordeaux.
Diop is highly-rated in France, and his club want to keep him for at least a while longer, while he and his value grow. He is settled in the south of France, and despite interest from some of Europe’s top clubs seems set to stay wearing purple this summer.
