Arsenal are reportedly showing an interest in Sporting Lisbon defender Ousmane Diomande amid some uncertainty over the future of star centre-back William Saliba.
Saliba has been a world class performer for the Gunners in recent times and is surely not a player they’ll want to lose, but the France international was recently approached by Real Madrid, according to a report from French outlet Le 10 Sport.
According to Portuguese outlet Record, as cited and translated by Team Talk, Arsenal are now ramping up their interest in Diomande, having scouted the talented young Ivorian defender a lot in recent times, perhaps hinting that he’d be the club’s replacement if Saliba were to swap the Emirates Stadium for the Bernabeu.
The report adds that Diomande is protected by a £67m release clause at Sporting, which might mean it’s not easy to get a deal done for the talented young Ivory Coast international.
It is worth noting that CaughtOffside have been told that Arsenal are relaxed over Saliba’s future, with the 23-year-old tied down to a long-term contract and happy with life under Mikel Arteta.
Diomande is an impressive young talent, however, so could be a good signing if Arsenal decide to bolster their defence, though they’re not the only club keeping an eye on him.
The 20-year-old has also been linked with Chelsea by Simon Phillips, and it might be that he’d get more playing time at Stamford Bridge, where the Blues will perhaps be on the lookout for upgrades on players like Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile, who have not been particularly impressive since joining.
Diomande would probably be an improvement on those players, and he’d fit the bill in terms of Chelsea’s recent recruitment under this ownership, with the west Londoners bringing in a number of top young players from around the world.
Arsenal’s project might look more tempting for the moment as Arteta has had more time to put this team together and surely has them on the verge of winning major trophies now, but CFC remain a big name with a long-term plan that might also be appealing to a young talent like Diomande.
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