Newcastle ‘leading the race’ for £69m defender chased by Arsenal, Chelsea – ideal new partner for Botman
Newcastle linked Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande alongside Viktor Gyokeres
Newcastle United are reportedly ‘leading the race’ for Sporting Lisbon centre-back Ousmane Diomande, who is also a target for Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid.
The 20-year-old is considered to be one of the most exciting young defenders in Europe so it’s no surprise to see top clubs queueing up for his signature.
Eddie Howe has made bringing in a new centre-back one of his transfer priorities for 2024.
Sven Botman was unavailable for 17 of Newcastle’s games this season with a knee injury. Howe was forced to field Jamal Lascelles in his place, which exposed the Magpies’ lack of quality cover at the back.
Diomande could potentially be Botman’s long-term defensive partner, but securing a deal for the Sporting star certainly won’t be easy.
Reports suggest he has a £69m release clause in his contract – which is valid until 2027 – so Newcastle will have to put their money where their mouth is to get a deal done.
Nevertheless, they are currently favourites to bring him in – although a deal is more likely next summer than in the current window.
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Newcastle now favourites to sign Diomande
According to reports from Spain, as cited by The Hard Tackle, Newcastle are ‘leading the race’ for Diomande despite interest from elsewhere.
It’s claimed that along with Arsenal and Chelsea, Real Madrid are also big admirers of the Ivory Coast international.
Diomande signed for Sporting in January 2023 and has quickly become one of their most important players.
The 6ft2 defender has made 21 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring two goals and helping his team to five clean sheets in the process. He has played a key role in helping Sporting rise to first place in the Liga Portugal table.
Diomande is only expected to improve as he gains experience, so could prove to be an excellent long-term investment for Newcastle
It will be interesting to see if the North East club launch a concrete offer for the youngster in the coming weeks, or risk waiting until the summer to make their move.
As mentioned, though, plenty of other top European sides are poised to swoop for Diomande, too, so he will definitely be a player to keep an eye on for the rest of the current window.
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