According to Portuguese publication Record, Arsenal have offered £51 million to Sporting for Ousmane Diomande, matching Chelsea’s offer for the defender.
Both the Premier League clubs are on the hunt for a new central defender which is why they have turned their focus to 20-year-old Doimande who is widely considered as one of the finest young defenders in the European scene right now.
The youngster joined Sporting CP in January of 2023 for a fee of around £6.5 million but his stocks have risen massively since then because right now, Ousmane Diomande is valued at £34 million.
This season, the defender has featured in 19 league games for the Portugal side and right now, he has a rating of 7.25 out of 10. In 1645 minutes of league football, Diomande has made almost 2 tackles per game along with 0.6 interceptions. He’s not particularly strong in winning aerial duels but the 20-year-old has top-level passing skills which can be an asset for any time that’s looking to build from the back.
Will Arsenal or Chelsea be able to sign Ousmane Diomande?
Doimande’s contract with Sporting expires in 2027 which is why the club is in no hurry to sell him. Also, the Portuguese side thinks £51 million is too low are figure for such a talented player and they are said to be holding out for a fee of around £69 million.
Chelsea’s interest in Ousmane Diomande is very well known as the Blues look for Thiago Silva’s replacement but the Gunners’ interest seems a bit dicey because Fabrizio Romano is claiming that there have been no concrete talks between Sporting and Arsenal.
Speaking to Caughtoffside, Romano has said: “On Diomande, however, I’m not aware of talks or negotiations yet; but there are really many clubs interested, so we’re absolutely far from a solution/negotiation or anything close or concrete yet.”
This is Diomande’s first full season with Sporting but the youngster would love to play for a top EPL club next season. However, we seriously doubt if the Portuguese side will be ready to accept a £51 million offer for one of their brightest youngsters.
Both Chelsea and Arsenal will have to spend wisely in the summer because while the Blues need to avoid any FFP breach, Arteta has to patch up several important areas of his squad. The two London sides will be hoping that Sporting can offer them a discount on Ousmane Diomande but if the Liga Portugal side is refusing to budge then we don’t think the centre-back is going to leave in the summer.
