Arsenal have ɾєρօɾτedly rekindled their interest in Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande.
Portuguese outletRecordhas claimed that the Gunners have got in touch with the Lions over their defєɴԀer.
Apparently, ‘some top clubs in Europe’ have been keenly following the 19-year-old’s progress.
Indeed, a ‘tempting offer’ could arrive from one of those top clubs for Diomande this summer.
Arsenal are the only club that Record name in their ɾєρօɾτ, suggesting they have a strong interest in him.
However, he won’t come cheap for the Gunners, who may well have been priced out of a move.
Sporting ɾєρօɾτedly won’t do business for less than his release clause of €80million (£69million).
‘Both are trying to buy the player’
Interestingly, ɾєρօɾτs in January suggested Arsenal could’ve signed Diomande for a fraction of his current price.
According to journalist Bruno Andrade, the Gunners were eyeing the defєɴԀer when he was on Midtjylland’s books.
At the time, Diomande was on loan at Portuguese second-tier club Mafra.
The Danish club were ɾєρօɾτedly standing firm on their €10million (£7million) valuation.
Arsenal apparently considered signing Diomande and then loaning him out to Sporting.
However, according to Andrade’stweeton 21 January, that possibility was “no longer” the case.
“The English and Portuguese are now working on different fronts for the young centre-back loaned to Mafra,” he wrote.
Andrade then replied to a follower who asked what these different fronts were. “Both are trying to buy the player,” hesaid.
At the єɴԀ of the January transfer window, his loan at Mafra was cut short as Sporting signed him permanently.
Our view
If the above ɾєρօɾτs are all true, then Arsenal will no doubt be wishing they had pushed harder for Diomande when he was below £10million.
Nonetheless, the Gunners have had a great transfer window, and the likelihood is he may not have had as much game time as he’s getting at Sporting.
Diomande to Arsenal seems unlikely this summer, but let’s see how he continues to develop. He’s on an upward trajectory, that’s for sure.
