- Newcastle United to reignite interest in Ousmane Diomande
- Crystal Palace also keen on centre-back
- Sporting Lisbon to demand £40m fee
Newcastle United are reportedly ready to reignite their long-standing interest in Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande this summer, per FootballInsider.
Crystal Palace are also reported to have a big interest in the Ivorian, with the 22-year-old attracting suitors from the Premier League and across Europe ahead of the summer window.
Diomande would reportedly cost around £40m for any potential buyer, with Sporting relaxed about a sale after recently tying him down to a deal until 2030.
Newcastle United long-standing interest
The Magpies have been linked with Diomande at frequent intervals since the Saudi takeover in 2021, but have yet to turn those rumours into any concrete move for the Ivorian.
The club is set to address the centre-back position as a priority this summer. Dan Burn and Fabian Schar are getting no younger, and the latter’s injury problems have caused issues for Howe’s men this season.
Sven Botman has also proven a cause for concern among fans, both for his poor injury history and some lacklustre performances when he has been fit. This could see a new defensive reinforcement come in to challenge the starting spot.
Given Diomande’s age profile, he is a very adept fit for the new recruitment strategy being employed at Newcastle. If the Ivorian is ever going to be a Newcastle player, now seems almost the perfect time for a deal to be struck.
Newcastle to battle with Crystal Palace
The most prominent of the other interests is that of Crystal Palace. The Eagles are yet to fill the hole left by former captain Marc Guehi’s departure to Manchester City in January.
This could lead them to be the frontrunners, especially given the starting position the London club can offer him. It must be said, Diomande does feel like the sort of player Palace would sign and who would do well there too.
With Glasner on his way out, it is uncertain what the new manager will want from a centre-back, but Diomande ticks almost all of the boxes to play in any system required of him.
Why Newcastle want him
When looking at Diomande’s profile, it becomes rather obvious why Newcastle are sniffing around him this summer.
The 22-year-old is a physical specimen, with his strength and athleticism lending him perfectly to the Premier League’s physical style of play.
Diomande’s physicality doesn’t replace his technical quality, though, with the Ivorian’s ability to break lines and play pinpoint forward passes in build-up an excellent tool in creating fast breaks.
He has an eagerness to defend on the front foot, which occasionally leads to him getting caught out, but largely sees his aggressive nature lock up opposition forward players and limit their space well.
Watching the absolute colossus that is Diomande play, it is no surprise to see why he is attracting such a wide array of interest this summer.
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