Arsenal should consider switching their attention from West Ham’s Issa Diop to Brighton’s Ben White, amid rising interest from Liverpool.
Metro Sport reported over the weekend that the Gunners were eyeing 22-year old Diop ahead of next season, with Mikel Arteta seeking to add another centre-back to his squad.
West Ham reportedly slapped a £60million price tag on the Frenchman last year when Manchester United registered an interest, indicating that the defender could once again prove costly this summer.
According to Football Insider, Liverpool could look to move for Brighton defender White, currently impressing on a season-long loan with Leeds, who is also said to be a target for Arsenal.
If the Gunners are left to pursue just one of the two aforementioned targets, they should abandon their interest in Diop and focus on White before Liverpool steal a march.
Voted the Championship’s best young player by Sky Sports in December, White has cut an impressive figure for Marcelo Bielsa’s side this season, and is generally regarded as one of the better young defenders in English football, having already been earmarked for an international call-up.
The 22-year old is valued at just £6.3million by Transfermarkt, however his actual transfer value will likely be much higher than that. Liverpool were linked with a £20million offer in October, and given how much impressive football he has played since then, that price could be even higher in the summer.
However, that fee will likely be lower than the fee West Ham are demanding for Diop, making White the better financial option for Arsenal.
With Liverpool said to be very keen on signing White, Arsenal should move quickly to steal a march on the defender, and forget about a move for Diop altogether.
