Arsenal interest could set price for rising star defender available at potential €30m discount | OneFootball

Some rumours come and go but others stick around, and it’s those ones which tend to interest us the most.

The name Ousmane Diomande has been coming up in connection with Chelsea for a while now, and it feels like this could be the summer he makes the jump to the Premier League.

After a really productive spell with Sporting in Lisbon, Diomande has developed and looks ready for a step up to a top league. Chelsea have long been linked, and today there’s another update from CaughtOffside which makes it clear that the Blues are in the mix.

While we’re well stocked with centre-backs, most of them can’t stay fit or lack the potential to maybe be a world class in that position. It’s easy to see why the rangy, strong and technically adept Diomande presents a tempting option.

He’s picking up regular Champions League experience, has won trophies and played a lot of minute for someone of his age.

Arsenal’s interest could set price for rising star

Ousmane Diomande in action against Borussia Dortmund (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)

In terms of how the signing might go down, the piece makes it clear that the €80m release clause in Diomande’s contract is too high for Chelsea’s liking, and that Sporting likely wouldn’t force them to pay it anyway.

The CaughtOffside report says that the Portuguese giants would accept an initial €50m, with bonuses on top of that. That seems much more reasonable – in fact if we sell Axel Disasi to Aston Villa this summer for a good fee it will pay for the bulk of it.

It will also depend on how much interest there is in the 21 year old – Arsenal have been linked, but given their depth in defence aren’t likely to bid too high for him.

With Sporting looking to cash in and no clear rivals out there for his signature, Chelsea could potentially swing a €50m bargain.