Arsenal are hoping to get their summer business complete as early as possible
Arsenal is gearing up for the upcoming summer transfer window and is reportedly in talks with a winner of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Despite the ongoing Premier League title race that Mikel Arteta and his team are involved in, the Arsenal management is concurrently working to build a strong team for the next season.
The Gunners are now eyeing successful players to bolster their chances of winning trophies in the 2024/25 season, thereby fostering a more competitive atmosphere within the team.
As per a report from the Portuguese media outlet Record, Arsenal has initiated discussions with Sporting Lisbon for a potential summer transfer of their central defender, Ousmane Diomande.
Sporting Lisbon is reportedly holding out for a €100m transfer fee for the 20-year-old player, but Arsenal is only prepared to match Chelsea’s offer of €60m. However, Sporting’s asking price could decrease as the summer transfer window approaches, with the structure of payments and clauses likely to play a crucial role in the final agreement.
Diomande, who is physically robust and skilled with the ball, is a key player for Sporting Lisbon, which is currently leading Porto in the Liga Portugal by a single point. He has managed to keep six clean sheets in the 19 games he has started this season, and Sporting’s manager, Ruben Amorim, has fielded him in almost all the matches for which he was available.
Diomande was absent from five league games between January and February due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, which took place in his home country, Ivory Coast. He played in the first two matches of the tournament but did not feature in any of the knockout stages.
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