Arsenal and Chelsea now lead race for physical defender who had be had for €50m

There are a few names that just keep coming up in rumours in every transfer window, and you just know they’re destined for the Premier League one day.

Ousmane Diomande is one of those. The Sporting defender just has a profile which is irresistible to top teams. Big, strong, quick, good with his feet, experienced in a back 4 and a back 3. It’s just a matter of time before someone takes the plunge.

The move of former Sporting coach Ruben Amorim to Manchester United had people connecting the defender with a move there, but the Red Devils don’t look likely to make a big splash this month, given they’re trying to get their books in order. They also spent major money in the summer on another defender in Leny Yoro.

Sources put Chelsea right in the mix for powerful central defender

So according to Caughtoffside, that means Chelsea are now front runners with Arsenal in terms of interested teams. They say that “sources” have also put Bayern Munich in the mix for the defender, who has a release clause of €80m. An offer of €50m to €60m would likely get the deal done.

Chelsea’s central defence has been a revolving door in recent seasons, with the old guard of Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Thiago Silva replaced many times without much success. Levi Colwill has looked great this season and Enzo Maresca is a fan of his, but the other options have struggled for form or fitness.

We can well see Diomande being a tempting target, especially if the Blues successfully sell Axel Disasi this month. His skillset could complement Colwill’s nicely, and we can imagine that being a really solid combination at the back for years to come if we get this deal done.