GSB now plotting West Ham bid for "old school" £8.5m talent, it could be bye-bye Diop - opinion

West Ham United are believed to be interested in a move for Bologna defender Arthur Theate, according to reports in Italy.

As per Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sports Witness), the Hammers have been handed a boost in their pursuit of the centre-back, as the 22-year-old ‘could be sacrificed’ by the Serie A outfit if manager Sinisa Mihajlovic opts for a change in formation next term.

The Belgium international only joined his current side, initially on loan, from Oostende last summer, although could well be moved on in the upcoming window, with the Hammers, who like the player, potentially set to be able to secure his services for roughly €10m (£8.5m), as per the report.

This follows previous speculation that the Premier League side had been offered the chance to sign the two-cap gem, as David Moyes seeks to bolster his defensive ranks ahead of next term.

With rumours abound that the east London outfit are also closing in on the signing of Rennes centre-back Nayef Aguerd, it would suggest that the centre of defence has become something of a priority for GSB, with the club in need of both depth and quality.

That fact has been heightened by the concerning fall from grace for 25-year-old Issa Diop, the once-promising Frenchman having been restricted to just ten league starts in the most recent campaign, while he only made 15 top-flight starts the season before.

Once dubbed a “monster” by former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, the £61k-per-week brute has endured a sad slump of late, having simply slid down the pecking order under Moyes behind the likes of Craig Dawson and Kurt Zouma.

When he has featured, however, the former Toulouse man – who joined the Irons on a then club-record £22m deal in 2018 – has largely failed to