Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United have received a major boost in their pursuit of 19-year-old Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande.
According to Record via Sport Witness, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United are all keen on having Ousmane Diomande in their ranks. The 19-year-old defender has made quite a name for himself while playing for Sporting CP, and he could be on his way to a bigger club in the summer of 2024. He has an €80 million release clause in his contract.
Diomande joined Sporting in January this year from FC Midtjylland. The teenager has gone from strength to strength since making the move. The Ivory Coast international already has 33 appearances for the first team and has even contributed towards four goals.
Sporting have already started considering offering him a new deal. They want to reward him for his great first year with the club and are all set to pay his former club FC Midtjylland some performance-related bonuses as well.
While Sporting are planning to offer him a new deal, they are well aware of the amount of interest in his services. Arsenal are one of the clubs who have been interested in the 19-year-old for a while now. Mikel Arteta wants to sign a young centre-back who can help them in the long run, and Diomande is a priority target for them.
They tried signing him back in the summer with a €35 million bid, but it was rejected by the Portuguese club. The Gunners will most likely return for his services in the winter along with Chelsea and Newcastle United. But Sporting have no intentions of letting him leave mid-season.
The Blues are looking to prepare for life without Thiago Silva, who is expected to part ways with the club at the end of the season. The 19-year-old Sporting CP defender seems to be an ideal candidate for the West London club. And, they have been scouting him for a while now.
The Magpies have been looking to sign young players with huge potential of late as they look to build a team strong enough to win major titles. There are three centre-backs in Eddie Howe’s setup who are 30 or above. As a result, Newcastle need to sign someone who can help them in the long run, and Diomande has emerged as a viable target.
While all three clubs would love to sign him in the winter, they will have to wait until the end of the season. The report suggests that Sporting would be open to a deal during the summer of 2024. But, it will be interesting to see how much they demand for his signatures as the 19-year-old is currently protected by a €80 million release clause.
