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Chelsea have been told it will take a bid of at least £50million to secure the signing of Issa Diop from West Ham. Express Sport exclusively revealed earlier this week that the Blues are set to launch a £40m bid for the Frenchman, who has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water.
Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol had teased that an agent had told him that Chelsea were eyeing a deal for a Premier League rival’s centre-back, but he refused to confirm he identity of the player.
But following our report, Solhekol opened up on Chelsea’s chances of landing Diop, quoting the figure he believes will be enough to entice West Ham into a sale.
“Issa Diop, that was the player that was mentioned to me on Monday,” he said on the Sky Sports Transfer Show.
“I’ve made a few more phone calls today, I’m being told that Issa Diop, we know what a great impact he had at West Ham United in his first season after he moved from Toulouse.
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Chelsea would need to pay West Ham £50m to complete a transfer deal for Issa Diop (Image: GETTY)
Express Sport understand that Chelsea are also currently deliberating whether to active their buy-back clause on Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake.
The Blues have an option to bring the Dutchman back to west London for around £40m.
It’s a signing that Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher expects Chelsea to make.
"I'm a big fan of Nathan Ake and I totally get it [why they would re-sign him]," Carragher told Sky Sports.
"I think they should [activate his buy-back clause], the only worry is that there is a lot of young centre-backs there.
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"He's not as young as them, he's got a lot of experience.
"But it's not the Virgil van Dijk type of figure at Liverpool that you think Chelsea are in need of to take them forward.
"I think he'd be great buy for Chelsea, he's left-footed and he knows the club as well.
"It's a signing I expect them to make but is he that man to eradicate all those defensive problems they have? They've struggled for clean sheet this season.
"I'm a big fan of his, I've even thought in the past, 'could be be a player for Liverpool?'