Arsenal and Chelsea are expected to look for central defenders at some stage in the transfer window this summer. While Mikel Arteta is looking to add depth to his backline to support Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, Enzo Maresca needs a few first choice centre backs with most of his options proving to be error-prone and misfits for his system.
Portuguese outlet O Jogo has reported that the two London rivals are set to battle it out for Sporting Lisbon star Ousmane Diomande. He is one of the breakthrough stars from the club’s academy and after a superb campaign in 2024/25, he has been linked with a switch to the Premier League.
Sporting Lisbon are willing to accept a transfer fee close to only £50 million in the summer, a significantly less amount in comparison to the 21-year-old’s £67 million release clause. The Ivory Coast defender was a crucial part of his club’s plans over the past few months but advances from England’s biggest clubs might prove too good to turn down.
Chelsea may sign Diomande ahead of Arsenal
Chelsea might be the favourites to secure a deal for Ousmane Diomande considering they can give regular minutes to him right from the word go. Arsenal have two indispensable central defenders in their squad in Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, so a new option is being seen as a secondary addition, a role which Sporting Lisbon’s youngster might not be keen on accepting.
In addition, the Blues will also be more willing to meet Sporting’s asking price for the player given that he aligns with their strategy of signing younger players with high potential. Whether or not the Gunners are indeed keen on spending as much money on a back-up player remains to be seen, more so with Mikel Arteta looking to make several other additions.
