Reports suggest that Arsenal has made a transfer request to the club, expressing their interest in signing an African star. In response, the club has reportedly made an offer of £51m.
According to reports, Arsenal have expressed their willingness to match Chelsea’s £51m offer in order to secure the signing of Ousmane Diomande, the talented defender from Sporting Lisbon.
The 20-year-old has quickly established himself as a crucial member of the Portuguese club’s first team after joining them from FC Midtjylland in Denmark over a year ago.
Since his £11m transfer in January 2023, Diomande has made 46 appearances for Sporting, impressively scoring three goals from his defensive position in various competitions.
Arsenal has reportedly joined the competition to acquire Diomande’s services in the upcoming summer transfer window, as per Portuguese outlet Record.
The Gunners have allegedly started talks with the player and his agents in preparation for a possible transfer to North London later in the year.
Sources suggest that Arsenal has indicated to Sporting their readiness to pay a £51.4m fee for the defender, which matches Chelsea’s bid for the centre-back.
Midtjylland, Diomande’s former club, will be monitoring the situation closely, as they are entitled to receive 20% of any future transfer fee involving the Ivorian player.
When he signed his contract at Estadio Jose Alvalade a little over a year ago, the seven-time international included a release clause of £68.5m.
Currently, it is understood that both Arsenal and Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues are not interested in paying that sum for the talented 20-year-old.
As Thiago Silva approaches his 40th birthday at the end of September, Chelsea is making arrangements for a future without the defender’s services.
Chelsea are not only interested in Diomande, but they are also eyeing Lille’s Leny Yoro as a possible replacement for Silva.
Sporting are facing difficulties in retaining their key players this summer, with Viktor Gyokeres attracting interest from various clubs, including Chelsea.
Gyokeres, who joined from Coventry City last year, has scored an impressive 22 goals in 24 league matches, making him the frontrunner in the Primeira Liga’s Golden Boot race.
