Chelsea are intent on beating rivals for Ousmane Diomande, with Arsenal and Newcastle United also chasing the £70 million-rated defender.
According to Football Insider, Chelsea are looking to steal a march on their Premier League rivals for Ousmane Diomande. The Ivory Coast defender is high on the Blues’ shortlist of central defenders for the January window but faces intense competition from Arsenal and Newcastle United.
Chelsea keen to sign Ousmane Diomande
Chelsea have signed many defenders during the last 18 months, with at least three centre-backs arriving during that period. Levi Colwill also finished his loan at Brighton and joined back during the summer, having established himself as a regular starter under Mauricio Pochettino.
Now, there are persistent reports they are chasing another one, with keen interest in Ousmane Diomande. The Sporting CP star will fly off the AFCON to represent Ivory Coast, with some of his critical suitors set to keep a close watch on him during the tournament.
Chelsea are aware of the competition and are eager to steal the march on their rivals to sign Diomande. Sporting CP are not overly keen to sell him and will point towards the release clause in the £70 million-rated defender’s contract.
The Portuguese side might only sell if a club pays that price in full, and Chelsea are in no position for that at the moment. They might find a way by selling a few of their homegrown stars to raise cash, but still, any deal looks unlikely, especially in January.
Arsenal and Newcastle United rival Chelsea for Diomande
Arsenal had set sights on Diomande and are keen to scout him further during the AFCON. The Gunners are keen on signing a centre-back in january and have shortlisted the Sporting star. A report stated they had contacted his family to accelerate a move, but overall, they are firmly in the race.
Newcastle United had also made contact with Diomande’s representatives, with Eddie Howe keen on a new centre-back to shore up his options. Neither the Magpies nor the Gunners are in a position to pay the £70 million-rated defender’s entire release clause in one shot, which could see these sides open key talks with Sporting over an agreement.
Chelsea are now looking to wrap up a potential deal quickly, but they too have financial restrictions to broker such a deal. Hence, the pursuit of Diomande could drag on until late in the January window, with chances of the defender staying put at Sporting also a likelihood. x
