Manchester City have reportedly enquired about signing FC Midtjylland defender Ousmane Diomande, a target for Arsenal.

According to Daily Mail, Premier League champions Manchester City have sounded out FC Midtjylland regarding a potential deal for defender Ousmane Diomande. The 19-year-old centre-back is also a target for Arsenal.

Ousmane Diomande came through the ranks at Ivory Coast side AS Abobo before moving to Europe with Midtjylland in 2022. He is yet to experience top-flight football and is currently on loan at Portuguese second-division side Mafra.

Diomande certainly has potential and is developing away from the gaze of the public eye. The Manchester City scouts will be well aware of the quality expected of them at the Etihad and must have seen something special in the youngster’s gameplay. 

Pep Guardiola’s side have already reached out to the Danish side regarding a potential deal. Mikel Arteta’s high-flying Arsenal are also interested and could make things difficult for Manchester City to get the deal over the line. But the interest from the Gunners is intriguing, considering they recently signed Jakub Kiwior.

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But the youngster still has a better shot at breaking into Arsenal’s first XI than Manchester City’s at the moment. The 19-year-old could initially learn the ropes before becoming a prospect for the Arsenal first team. Meanwhile, Guardiola is blessed with five excellent centre-backs and is not short of options.

A centre-back roster consisting of Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Manuel Akanji, John Stones and Nathan Ake is not to be sniffed at. Manchester City have the right blend of youth and experience and have enough depth in the roster to battle across multiple fronts.

Guardiola’s side have been the pre-eminent force in English football for the past few years. However, some key players are ageing, and a rebuild is the need of the hour. The likes of Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland arrived in the summer, while Akanji’s signing added more options at the back. Velez Sarsfield youngster Maximo Perrone is the latest prospect to join the club. 

It is debatable if DIomande will be ready anytime soon to meet the expectations at Manchester City. But dogged scouting can ensure that the Premier League champions could land themselves a player well before he becomes a household name. There is the risk that Diomande could be just another player in England, while staying at Midtjylland could provide him with a quicker passage to the senior side.

Also Read: Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior will aid Arsenal in title challenge

Time will tell whether the 19-year-old will go on to become a key figurehead in the defence at the Etihad. For now, he remains a Midtjylland player and with three years left on his current deal, the Danish outfit hold the aces when it comes to negotiations. 

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