BY ROSEMARY UGIOMOH
Manchester United and Newcastle United are apparently front-runners to land 22-year-old Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande this summer.
According to A Sport Witness, both clubs have ramped up their pursuit of Diomande, along with Crystal Palace. Man United and Newcastle reportedly “stepped things up” after his standout display against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal.
Diomande has grown into one of the top young defenders around since his January 2023 move to Sporting CP from FC Midtjylland. It’s been an up and down few seasons for the 22 year old, but he’s developed a lot over the last three years. That UCL quarterfinal performance versus Arsenal turned plenty of heads.
The Ivorian international has racked up 100+ games for Sporting CP, adding seven goals and two assists. His rise has caught the eye of several big clubs, with Crystal Palace, Man United, and Newcastle all in the mix this year.
Palace have tracked him for a while, which tracks: they still haven’t replaced Marc Guehi since he left for Manchester City earlier this year. Diomande looks like a fit as a long term partner for Maxence Lacroix in central defence.
Man United’s interest makes sense too. Harry Maguire did renew his deal, but he’s past 30 and nearing the back end of his career. Plus there are growing doubts around Matthijs de Ligt with his extended layoff from a back injury.
For Newcastle, a new centre-back is on the summer shopping list because Fabian Schar and Dan Burn are both in the later stages of their careers.
