Who is Chelsea and Arsenal target Ousmane Diomande?

Ousmane Diomande is an Ivorian centre-back currently playing his football for Sporting CP and is being chased by Premier League clubs for a fee of around £69million.

TEAMtalk’s Fraser Fletcher revealed that Diomande was the subject of a transfer battle between the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal for a price that would put him in the top 10 most expensive centre-backs of all time.

Diomande joined his current club in January 2023 and has so far gone on to make 27 appearances for the Portuguese giants.

Sporting currently sits top of the league, winning seven of their eight games and drawing the other, with the centre-back being a key figure in the team, starting every game to date.

With the joint second-best defence in the league, Diomande has partnered both Sebastien Coates and Goncalo Inacio in a back three this campaign, only conceding seven goals in the process.

Chelsea’s 39-year-old Thiago Silva is out of contract at the end of the season and the Blues are eyeing a move for the Ivorian starlet.

Arsenal are also keen on Diomande, with summer signing Jurrien Timber out until late January.

Diomande’s career so far

Standing at an imposing 190cm (6ft 3), Diomande was born and raised in the Ivory Coast and first made his move to Europe with Danish team FC Midtjylland in January 2020.

For the next two years, Diomande would remain in the youth system at the Danish outfit, but in the summer of 2022 he finalised a loan switch to Portuguese second-tier team Mafra without ever appearing for Midtjylland’s first team.

His impressive performances caught the eye of top-flight side Sporting, who had his loan cut short after six months to purchase the 19-year-old permanently.

A week after signing he would make his first-team debut as a substitute in a 1-0 away win at Rio Ave. He started and played every minute in Sporting CP’s Europa League round of 16 second-leg tie away at Arsenal, where the Portuguese team would draw 1-1 and eventually claim victory via penalties.

Diomande made his debut for the Ivory Coast in September 2023 in a 1-o victory over Lesotho.

What is Diomande like as a player?

Diomande possesses all of the attributes required to be a top modern-day centre-back.

Despite standing at 6ft 3, the Ivorian is noticeably quick. His pace, combined with his willingness to step out of the defence to close down the opposition or a loose ball, helps to keep his team on the front foot.

Diomande’s presence makes him an imposing figure in either box, being a constant threat from set pieces and very capable of defending his own area.

The 19-year-old is already very strong considering his age; he won’t back down from a duel and not many opposition players would fancy themselves in a 1v1 against him.

Technically he is also very good. He is very calm on the ball and has an eye for a pass that will unlock the opposition’s defence, allowing him to play in either a possession-dominant side wanting to build slowly from the back or a direct side looking to attack with pace.

Predominantly right-footed and playing most of his senior football on the right of a back three, Diomande possesses all of the technical and physical attributes to play in a back four as well.

Where will Diomande go?

Despite only making his top-flight debut less than a year ago, Diomande is already a wanted man.

Chelsea and Arsenal are two of the clubs that have been recently linked with the Ivorian, with both looking to bolster their defensive options.

With Thiago Silva turning 40 next season, there is the expectation that the Brazilian cannot go on forever.

Chelsea already have a plethora of defensive options in Axel Disasi, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashille, Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah all competing for minutes at Stamford Bridge, though the latter two are both experiencing injury issues.

Arsenal themselves have the joint second-best defensive record in the Premier League so far this season behind Man City.

William Saliba and Gabriel have been the preferred duo in Arteta’s back four this season, with Ben White being pushed to right-back and flourishing with both Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu competing for minutes as well.

His current contract runs until the summer of 2027, so he will not come cheap, hence the quoted £69million price tag.

Diomande would be an intriguing option for both Chelsea and Arsenal and would most certainly command minutes wherever he goes.

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