Arsenal are reportedly ready to make a £51m bid for Ousmane Diomande, who has also been linked with Premier League rivals Chelsea.
The Gunners are said to have held dialogue with Sporting Lisbon, letting the Portuguese side know they’re keen on signing the player. Arsenal are looking to strengthen their defence next season in the transfer window and have several options in mind.
Last summer, Mikel Arteta made sure his team spent big to bring in quality to his squad. David Raya, Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and Declan Rice were all signed to cover all areas of the pitch.
These four players have helped Arsenal in their quest for another title. Arsenal are already planning another big spending spree at the end of this season.
Their top priority is to sign a high-quality striker, reports the Express. But it’s now clear that Arteta also wants to boost his defensive line-up over the summer.
According to Record, the club have identified Sporting’s Diomande as a top target. They’ve been watching his progress for several years.
The centre-back is one of the top young talents in Portugal’s Liga and has many clubs interested in him. Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Newcastle have all shown interest in the 20-year-old before.
But Arsenal hope to get ahead of the competition by already talking to Diomande’s representatives about their plans for the summer transfer window.
The Gunners have been keeping an eye on the centre-back since his days at the FC Midtjylland academy, and now seems like the perfect time to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal have reportedly informed Sporting know that they’ll be making a bid for their No. 26 this summer.
Diomande has a whopping £68million release clause in his current contract at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, but it’s been suggested that a bid of around £51m might be enough to tempt Sporting into letting him go, potentially saving Arsenal £17m in the process.
Sporting know there’s a ‘strong possibility’ that Diomande could leave this summer, but they’re not in a hurry to say goodbye to the defender. They’re also expecting bids for Viktor Gyokeres, who’s caught the attention of both Arsenal and Chelsea with his fantastic performances in Portugal.
