Tottenham defensive target pleads not to be told which clubs want him

Issa Diop has denied any knowledge of speculation linking him with a move away from West Ham, explaining why he doesn’t want to pay attention to rumours.
The French defender has been linked with a move across London to team up with Jose Mourinho at Tottenham Hotspur, with the club still waiting to see if Jan Vertonghen is going to commit to the club beyond the expiration of his contract in six months’ time.
It is believed that Tottenham received a negative response from their cross-city rivals, learning that the £65m-rated Diop – who Mourinho had praised after his performance against Manchester United in 2018 – was not for sale.
Diop has now backed up that stance by declaring that he is not even interested in finding out which clubs want to sign him.
“I’m not in negotiations, I don’t want to know which club is interested in me,” Diop said in an extensive interview with Foot Mercato. “So for me, it doesn’t really change anything.
“I don’t feel particularly watched. But whether you are in a smaller club or in a large club, whatever happens, you are observed. It does not change anything.
“Honestly, I don’t really give a s*** about what is in the newspapers. I am not at all concentrated on that. It doesn’t enter my thinking at all.
“I leave people who are responsible to deal with that side. I just focus on football.”
The 23-year-old had also been linked with Manchester United and Arsenal in the past, with both clubs needing to shore up their defences.
Arsenal were told that Diop was worth £65m in the summer, before settling on the modestly priced David Luiz instead.