Arsenal have become a hotbed for some of Europe’s most talented young players in recent times.
The likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, William Saliba and Declan Rice can all be considered elite talents with plenty of room for improvement.
Now – if reports from Portugal are accurate – another of Europe’s most precocious talents could be moving to Arsenal…
Ousmane Diomande prefers Arsenal move
Well – according to Record in Portugal – Ousmane Diomande is on Arsenal’s radar.
The Portuguese news outlet believe the Gunners are willing to put £51m on the table to sign the Ivory Coast international this summer, as Mikel Arteta targets a new central defender.
Crucially, Record add that Chelsea are also keen, but Diomande would prefer to join Arsenal.
That doesn’t surprise us in the slightest, to be perfectly honest – surely no young talent with their head screwed on would opt for Chelsea over Arsenal right now.
The Blues currently sit 11th in the Premier League and seem to be ambling towards nowhere under Mauricio Pochettino, whereas it feels like only a matter of time until Arsenal achieve something significant under Arteta.
Diomande – aged just 20 – has made 29 appearances in all competitions for Sporting CP so far this season, scoring two goals while also providing one assist.
Mikel Arteta and Edu may have to spend more
As aforesaid, Arsenal are willing to offer £51m for Diomande.
However, the Sporting CP No.26 has a release clause worth £70m written into his contract with the Portuguese giants, a figure the Primeira Liga outfit may point Arsenal towards.
Having said that, if Diomande – who was recently ranked as the fifth best young talent in Europe by Scouted’s Scouted50 – asks to join Arsenal and forces the move, Sporting CP could potentially accept a sum below his release clause.
Should Arsenal fail to make progress with a move for the Ivorian, there is another talented young central defender who Edu could turn to who also originates from the Ivory Coast…
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