Crystal Palace had arguably the clubs most successful ever season in 2024/2025.
An 11th-place league finish was accompanied by a historic FA Cup victory over Pep Guardiolas Manchester City.
Because of this, the London side has reimagined ambitions, and this summer transfer window could be essential in cementing their future as a strong competitor in Englands top flight.
The windows first acquisition looks to be the Ivorian centre-half Ousmane Diomande.
The 21-year-old is now heavily linked to a move in the coming weeks.
The youngster currently plies his trade at Sporting CP and is extremely highly rated in Portuguese football circles.
This article will conduct a player analysis on Diomande, analysing his strengths and weaknesses and considering how he may fit into the Eagles team next season.
Who Is Ousmane Diomande?
Ousmane Diomande is a 6’3 centre-back and a very unique profile.
Despite being just 21, Diomande has an impressive CV and is not short of career success.
He has already made 101 appearances for Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon, many of them in the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.
In addition, he has nine caps for his country and has already won Liga Portugal twice, the Danish first Division, and the Africa Cup of Nations.
Now, he looks set to join the South London club Crystal Palace for a fee of around £40m.
Sporting Lisbon & Crystal Palace Tactical Similarities
Glasner joined the Eagles in the 2023/2024 season and has been very consistent with his tactical approach since.
Glasner adopts a 3-4-2-1 system, with wing-backs that drop in to form a back five when defending deep.
The images below show Glasners set-up in their recent FA Cup triumph.
Image 23 06 2025 at 13.56Below, Sporting Lisbons set up when defending deep is shown.
Both sides sit with a five at the back with two central midfielders in front.
Image 23 06 2025 at 13.59
**Crystal Palace Style Of
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