Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Ross Barkley and Issa Diop

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly cooled their interest in Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, giving Arsenal a major boost in the race to land the England international. Meanwhile, RB Leipzig are said to have made an offer for talented defender Issa Diop.

According to the Daily Star (via Metro's Mark Brus), Spurs have prioritised a move for Swansea City's Gylfi Sigurdsson in light of Everton's asking price for Barkley. The Toffees want £50 million for their star, and Tottenham would rather spend less to bring back the Iceland international.

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That would open the door for the Gunners to move for Barkley, whose future at Goodison Park seems questionable at best.

Per the report, manager Ronald Koeman has no idea whether Barkley will stay with the club long-term. When asked, he said: ''No. I spoke to the player, the board spoke to his agent. I don’t know if he won’t give an answer. I don’t know.''

BBC Sport's Phil McNulty believes Koeman wouldn't hesitate to sell the 23-year-old if he had to:

Barkley has been among England's most talented midfielders for some time now, but his progression has somewhat stalled in the last two seasons. He's more than ready for the move to a top club and might just need such a transfer to unlock his full potential.

The Gunners could use another athletic, creative midfielder with tons of scoring potential, although the reported £50 million valuation could be steep, even for Arsenal. Manager Arsene Wenger tends to reserve huge transfer fees for established talent at the top of their game―Barkley is still a bit of a project.

Elsewhere, France Football (h/t Daily Mirror's Football Spy) reports RB Leipzig have offered Ligue 1 club Toulouse €14 million (roughly £12 million) for Diop, one of France's top defensive prospects.

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The 20-year-old has been linked to several clubs, including the Gunners, after impressing in Ligue 1 for the last two seasons. Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe highlighted him as a player to watch in the FIFA U-20 World Cup taking place in South Korea:

''The Frenchman already has more than 50 Ligue 1 starts in his career, making him a relatively seasoned veteran in this competition, and he has the sort of physique that can dominate at this level. Strong, big-bodied and aggressive, he'll give you nothing in the air and little on the ground.''

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

Diop is a budding star whose value is set to rise tremendously in the next few years, and he fits Leipzig's profile for a potential signing perfectly. The Germans already have the equally talented Dayot Upamecano in their ranks, and the two could combine to give the team a fantastic central duo in the future.