Both Tottenham and Arsenal had scouts at the recent Paris Saint-Germain game versus Toulouse.
That may get fans of the two north London clubs pretty excited, with the likes of Marco Verratti, Edinson Cavani, and Blaise Matuidi on show.
However, it appears that it wasn’t the PSG players who were attracting interest at the Parc des Princes.
France Football, who can admittedly be a little hit and miss with these rumours, claim that Spurs and Arsenal were in fact watching Toulouse centre-half Issa Diop.
This does make sense given that the Lilywhites have struggled whenever either Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld has been absent this season.
And as for Arsenal, they are in the same boat. Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi are the first choices, but Per Mertesacker is ageing and Rob Holding is at the other end of his career.
So, what exactly does Diop have to offer?
The 20-year-old has played a big role for Toulouse this season, popping up with two goals in his 20 appearances so far.
The Frenchman doesn’t have the composure of a player like Alderweireld, but he can provide no-nonsense defending. Part of Eric Dier’s problem when playing at the back has been his tendency to try and play out from the back, and while Diop isn’t the best passer either, he’s a big, physical centre-back, which could be just what Spurs need as a back-up.
Check out Football Advisor for profitable betting predictions
