Hammers set Diop price

By Dave Langton

West Ham want  at least £18m from Fulham if they are to sell Issa Diop this summer.

The newly-promoted club are very interested in doing a deal for the Frenchman as they bid to shore up their backline.

As it stands, Fulham have made an offer in the region of £12m plus add-ons but that will need to rise if the Hammers are to green light a sale.

Diop may only have a year left on his Hammers contract but he is an experienced Premier League defender with 94 appearances under his belt, and the Irons want a fee that reflects that.

There remains a hope that Lyon could enter the bidding and potentially push the price up, with the French club watching developments closely.

Fulham are flush from their promotion and the Irons are hopeful of receiving a bid worth around £18m plus add-ons, that would take the overall fee to nearer £20m.

The Irons have been spending money this summer and the signing of Nayef Aguerd has pushed Diop down the pecking order, but he will not be sold for peanuts!