Ready to move: Chelsea confident of potentially signing €80m Arsenal transfer target | OneFootball

Chelsea are reportedly optimistic about their chances of winning the race for Sporting Lisbon defender Ousmane Diomande this summer.

The Blues could surely do well to strengthen at the back in the near future, with Enzo Maresca’s side currently relying on an injury-prone Wesley Fofana, while others such as Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo haven’t been that convincing.

According to TEAMtalk, this has led Chelsea to look closely at Diomande, who has impressed a great deal at Sporting, with Arsenal also said to be interested in the 21-year-old, who has a €80m release clause.

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Diomande is not the only name on Chelsea’s list, according to the report, which also makes mention of Crystal Palace and England ace Marc Guehi, though it’s claimed that the west London giants are ready to make a move.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has also previously told CaughtOffside about Chelsea’s interest in talented young Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen.

Would Ousmane Diomande be the best defensive signing for Chelsea?

Ousmane Diomande in action for Sporting CP (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)

All the players mentioned here have their qualities, so it’s not easy to know for sure who would end up being the best fit for Chelsea.

Still, Diomande has long looked like an outstanding prospect, so could be a smart long-term investment for CFC.

His €80m release clause also means Chelsea should be able to afford the deal and get it done without too much complicated negotiating.

Still, if Arsenal are also interested then perhaps there’ll be other tempting offers for the Ivory Coast international to consider.

Diomande would likely play more often at Chelsea than at Arsenal, who already have William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes as a world class defensive partnership.

There could perhaps be concern, though, that the Chelsea project is a bit more chaotic, with so much chopping and changing of both players and managers under this ownership, and not much sign yet that it’s going to lead to success.