Sporting Lisbon are now reacting to the interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United in a transfer for Ousmane Diomande by offering the defender a new contract.
That is according to Record, which reports that Sporting have presented Diomande with new terms to prove they are alert to the growing interest in the 19-year-old. He is particularly on a clutch of Premier League radars with Arsenal rivalling Chelsea and Newcastle for his transfer.
Arsenal already tried to sign Diomande in the last summer transfer sales but Sporting had no interest in accepting the €35m (£30m) bid. The one-cap Ivory Coast defender only moved to the Leoes in January from FC Midtjylland. Yet his rise in Portugal has seen his value rocket.
Sporting react to Arsenal and Chelsea’s interest in Diomande
Record notes that Sporting paid Midtjylland just an initial €7.5m (£5.5m) for Diomande back in January. Their deal with the Danish club featured a further €5m (£4.5m) in add-ons, which the Leoes have already paid €500k (£450k) and owe €1.5m (£1m) for every 30 appearances.
Diomande is now near to triggering the first instalment having featured for the necessary 45 minutes or more in 28 of his 33 appearances. But Sporting’s investment was still an absolute bargain as the Liga Portugal team are demanding no less than €80m (£69m) to sell him now.
Sporting have told every club interested in Diomande’s transfer – including Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle – that they must trigger his €80m (£69m) release clause in January. But that could change next summer as the Leoes are already ready to sell him at the end of the term.
Diomande is ‘definitely’ a transfer target for the Gunners
Interest from Arsenal, Chelsea et al has sparked Sporting to respond by offering Diomande a new contract, though. The centre-half agreed to a deal running until June 2027 in January to leave Midtjylland. But the Leoes are now aiming to add a further 12 months to his contract.
Diomande would receive a pay rise to pen new terms, improving his net wage from €300k-a-year (£5k-a/w) to €500k (£8.5k-a/w). Sporting will leave the €80m (£69m) release clause in his present terms in any new deal. The Leoes are still happy with its value for his potential.
Additionally, Sporting are confident that Diomande will agree to sign the new contract amid widespread interest in his transfer. Dean Jones has also cited Arsenal’s interest, reporting in October that Diomande is ‘definitely’ a target for the Gunners as they court defensive depth.
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