Arsenal and Chelsea are both keeping tabs on Ousmane Diomande.
Arsenal have been tracking Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande for some time. The 20-year-old is currently competing at the Africa Cup of Nations for the Ivory Coast.
Diomande only made his international debut in September 2023, but was named in the Ivory Coast starting XI for the nation’s opening AFCON fixture against Guinea-Bissau. He produced a dominant performance, winning 80% of his duels, as per Sofascore statistics.
Diomande will be hoping to bring his club form to the international stage throughout this tournament. The 6’3” youngster has already established himself as a key player for Sporting. He has featured 15 times in the Portuguese top flight this season, starting every game up until his departure for AFCON.
Having previously been described as an “elite talent,” it is unsurprising to see Diomande attracting Premier League attention. However, he will not come cheap. According to Record, Arsenal and Chelsea are both “watching” and being “very attentive” to Diomande’s exploits at AFCON, but Sporting are unwilling to let the player depart for anything less than his €80 million release clause – roughly equivalent to £69 million.
Should Arsenal try to sign Ousmane Diomande this month?
Mikel Arteta would certainly be wise to bolster his defensive contingent. Injuries to Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu have depleted his options at the back this season.
However, bringing in a new left-back is seemingly considered a higher priority than sourcing an additional centre-back. Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has also revealed that signing a left-back this month is considered to be of vital importance by Arsenal.
Should Chelsea formalise their interest in Diomande, the Gunners could also find that they are priced out of a move for the player, as although a release clause exists, the north London club may well struggle to match the wages that the Blues could offer the defender.
In any case, Diomande’s only concern at this time will be on shining at AFCON and helping the Ivory Coast to progress as far in the competition as they possibly can.
Meanwhile, whilst Arteta will have one eye on goings on and potential opportunities in the transfer market, his main focus will be on trying to inspire some confidence in his Arsenal squad. The Gunners have been on a dreadful run of form in recent weeks, with mistakes made at the back having been compounded by their inability to find the back of the net. Arsenal simply must get back to winning ways against Crystal Palace next time out.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
