According to reports, Arsenal has reignited their interest in Ousmane Diomande of Sporting Lisbon.
According to the Portuguese publication Record, the Gunners have contacted the Lions regarding their defence.
‘Some major teams in Europe’ have reportedly been closely monitoring the 19-year-old’s development.
A ‘tempting offer’ for Diomande may come this summer from one of those elite teams, in fact.
Only Arsenal is mentioned by Record in their story, indicating that they are really interested in him.
He won’t be cheap, though, and the Gunners might have been priced out of a move.
Sporting allegedly won’t agree to a deal for less than his €80 million (£69 million) release clause.
The player is being sought after by both.
It’s interesting to note that Diomande may not have cost Arsenal as much as they currently do to acquire him.
The Gunners were interested in the defender when he was listed on Midtjylland’s books, according to journalist Bruno Andrade.
Diomande was then a loan player with Portuguese second-tier team Mafra.
According to reports, the Danish club was adamant about their €10 million (£7 million) valuation.
Diomande was reportedly considered by Arsenal for acquisition with a loan to Sporting.
However, that possibility was “no longer” the case, per Andrade’s tweet on January 21.
For the teenage centre back loaned to Mafra, “the English and Portuguese are now working on different fronts,” he wrote.
Andrade then responded to a follower who inquired about the nature of these many fronts. Both are attempting to acquire the player, he declared.
His loan at Mafra was terminated at the end of the January transfer window when Sporting hired him on a long-term basis.
If the aforementioned allegations are accurate, Arsenal will undoubtedly regret not making a stronger bid for Diomande when his price was under £10 million.
Even so, the Gunners had a successful transfer window, and it’s possible that he didn’t play as much as he is now at Sporting.
Diomande joining Arsenal this summer looks doubtful, but we should monitor his progress nonetheless. He is definitely moving up, that much is clear.
