Newcastle United are apparently dominating the fight to sign highly regarded defender Ousmane Diomande, who is also a key transfer target for Arsenal and Chelsea.
Diomande has been linked with many of Europe’s biggest teams since breaking onto the scene at Sporting Lisbon this season, where his performances have put the club on the verge of winning the Portuguese top division.
The 20-year-old was also a member of Ivory Coast’s Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad in January.
Arsenal has been watching the potential centre-back for some time, and after having a £30 million deal rejected last summer, they have continued to scout him and Sporting partner Viktor Gyokeres.
Chelsea has also shortlisted Diomande as a potential replacement for Thiago Silva, who is expected to leave Stamford Bridge when his contract ends in the summer.
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However, according to Portuguese news outlet A Bola, Newcastle is now the leader to recruit the wonderkid, maybe as a long-term successor for Fabian Schar, who will turn 33 later this year.
The Magpies have been looking into how much it would cost to recruit Diomande, who has a release clause worth €80 million.
Given how stretched Newcastle’s finances are expected to be in the next transfer window, they are aiming to negotiate a lower cost, although this will be difficult because Diomande has a contract until 2027.
Furthermore, his contract has a 20% sell-on clause, which was introduced when he signed from Danish club Midtjylland in January 2023, implying that Sporting will seek as much money as possible from the transfer.
It has been widely speculated that Eddie Howe’s side will have to sell before buying, with coveted midfielder Bruno Guimaraes linked with a £100 million move to Arsenal or Manchester City.
City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Juventus are also reportedly interested in Diomande.
