Ousmane Diomande
Manchester United are preparing a move to sign Sporting Lisbon defender Ousmane Dembele in January, according to Spanish website Fichajes.
The Red Devils are planning to strengthen their defence during the upcoming winter transfer window, and Diomande has emerged as a top target for manager Ruben Amorim.
Amorim previously managed the highly-rated centre-back during his time at Sporting. He has now requested Man United to make an approach for the Ivorian sensation in January.
The 21-year-old has a release clause worth £70 million in his contract at the Portuguese champions, but his market value stands at around £44 million, as per Fichajes‘ update.
Top-class
United had an unconvincing start to the Premier League campaign. Amorim was under immense pressure before the game against Sunderland. The Red Devils have since picked up back-to-back victories, and they are just a couple of points behind Liverpool for the final Champions League spot at the moment.
If United were to continue delivering promising results, the hierarchy could back Amorim with a mid-season spending spree. A defensive midfielder seems a necessity for the club, but a centre-back could be signed too, given they are probably an injury or two away from another potential crisis in the heart of the defence.
Diomande would be a fabulous signing for the Red Devils, given the progress made in his time at Sporting. In the current campaign, he has completed 90% of his passes in the Primeira Liga, winning 67% of his aerial duels. The young centre-back has also made 3 clearances and 3 ball recoveries per match for Sporting.
He has yet to enter the prime phase of his career. Amorim brought the best out of him after he arrived from Midtjylland in January 2023, and a reunion could be on the cards this winter. Sporting are a difficult club to negotiate with, and they could hold out for a higher fee than £44 million after the transfer saga on Viktor Gyokeres.
Gyokeres believed there was a gentleman’s agreement to leave for £59 million, but Arsenal eventually agreed to pay £64 million for the striker after weeks of negotiations. A summer deal only materialised after his agent gave up his 10% commission. Hence, United may have to pay close to £50 million or more for Diomande.