Amorim now wants Man United to sign £70m 6ft 3in star Pep Guardiola admires - report

New Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim wants the Red Devils to sign Sporting Lisbon centre-back Ousmane Diomande, according to the Sun.

The 39-year-old has been announced as the permanent successor to Erik ten Hag, who was fired on Monday, and he will join the Old Trafford club on November 11.

Amorim is expected to stick with his preferred 3-4-3 formation at Man United. Leny Yoro, Matthijs De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez fit perfectly into the system, but the Portuguese wants to bring Diomande with him from Sporting.

The 20-year-old has established himself as one of the best defenders in the Primeira Liga, and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is reportedly a huge admirer.

Diomande would be perfect for Man United, but Sporting will only sell him if his £70 million release clause is activated, which could be a problem for the club.

They spent £52m on Yoro in the summer and also splashed the cash by signing both De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich to bolster their defence.

Man United need quality depth at centre-back as Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans could all be on their way out at the end of the season.

While Diomande would be a solid addition, signing a youngster who is unproven in the Premier League for £70m will be the last thing Man United want to do.

The Red Devils are careful to stay within the confines of the Profitability and Sustainability rules, and they cannot afford to splash the cash in January and or next summer.

Liverpool, Arsenal and Bayern Munich have previously been linked with the Sporting youngster.

He is expected to leave sooner or later, but reuniting with Amorim could prove tricky if the asking price is not lowered.