Arsenal are expected to reignite their interest in the services of 19-year-old Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande.
According to a report by Record via SportWitness, Arsenal have been interested in the services of Ousmane Diomande for a while now. The Gunners have been keeping a close eye on the teenage sensation and are expected to return for his services next summer after having failed this time out.
The London club have been monitoring him since his days at FC Midtjylland. They wanted to sign him in the winter of 2023 before he joined Sporting CP. But, they were not ready to meet the demands of the Danish club.
As a result, the Ivory Coast international ended up joining the Portuguese club. He has been putting in some impressive shifts since joining Sporting and has attracted a lot of attention.
Diomande has featured in 21 matches for his new club and has been involved in two goals as well. He has been a rock in the heart of the defence and has hardly put a foot wrong.
Despite having missed out on the teenage sensation back in January, the Gunners decided to push for his services in the summer. They ended up submitting a bid worth €35 million. But, wasn’t good enough as the Portuguese club wanted much more for a player who is protected by a €80 million release clause.
Diomande still has four years left on his deal with Sporting CP and with a high release clause in his contract, Sporting are the ones in the driving seat. His value is expected to go up with time and they would love to cash in on him big time next summer.
Meanwhile, the report suggests that Arsenal will return for his services in the summer. The Gunners already have a world-class squad that can compete for almost every title out there but they still want to add more quality to the mix. Signing Diomande will add depth to their defence and it will help them in the long run.
