Newcastle United ‘have regularly scouted Sporting Lisbon centre-back Ousmane Diomande,’ according to The Telegraph.
Newcastle ‘are likely to also be at the table’ for his signature, with Chelsea and Crystal Palace considering a move for the 21-year-old.
The Magpies are seeking defensive reinforcement, and Diomande is a target after a hugely successful season in Portugal.
Diomande helped keep nine clean sheets in 31 Primeira Liga appearances as the Lisbon giants won a second successive league title.
He won 65% of his aerial and 53% of his ground duels while netting twice.
With Dan Burn and Fabian Schar entering the twilight of their careers, Newcastle must refresh their backline, and the club’s radar is on Diomande.
The Toons are also still in for Crystal Palace man Marc Guehi.
Newcastle chased the England international throughout last summer, but it proved a futile attempt as the Eagles priced him out of a transfer.
It is worth noting that Diomande, whom Ruben Amorim hailed as a ‘very talented player’, reportedly has a release clause set at €80 million.
Sporting (see Viktor Gyokeres) are not keen on doing suitors any favours in the summer transfer window.
Newcastle may not be willing to pony up that sum for Diomande and will likely have alternatives on their list should the Ivory Coast international prove too expensive.
An affordable Diomande alternative Newcastle should consider – View
A sensible, cost-effective alternative could be LOSC Lille defender Alexsandro Ribeiro.
The 25-year-old played a key role as Lille finished in the top four this term. He helped keep 10 clean sheets in 30 league outings.
Alexsandro won 71% of his aerial duels and 58% of his ground battles, slightly outperforming the Sporting centre-back in both metrics.
Alexsandro also netted once and demonstrated poise and assurance on the ball, attributes Newcastle manager Eddie Howe values in a ball-playing defender.
Alexsandro earned his first Brazil cap earlier this year. He impressed under Carlo Ancelotti against Ecuador and followed it with another excellent showing versus Paraguay.
Unlike Diomande, Alexsandro doesn’t carry a bloated price tag or the attention of a bidding war, even though Arsenal are sniffing around.
That makes him a more accessible target for a Newcastle side operating under financial fair play constraints.
If Newcastle are priced out of Diomande, Alexsandro is a smart, underrated fall-back the club should consider.
(Stats from Sofascore)