Chelsea ahead of Man United in race to sign defender | OneFootball

Chelsea are understood to be ahead of Manchester United in the race to sign Ousmane Diomande from Sporting Lisbon.

The 21-year-old is regarded as one of European football’s best defensive prospects and has attracted admiring glances from top teams.

Chelsea and Manchester United are two of the sides interested in signing Diomande, who valued in the region of €50m and €60m by the Portuguese champions. Bayern Munich also enquired into his availability during the January transfer window.

Chelsea want to bring in at least one central defender in the summer. Axel Disasi, who was loaned to Aston Villa on deadline day, is likely to leave Stamford Bridge, while Benoit Badiashile’s future is also uncertain. Chelsea also have concerns over Wesley Fofana, who has missed 93 games through injury since joining the Blues in 2022.

TEAMTalk are reporting that the Blues are ahead of Manchester United, with the latter’s financial power uncertain. Currently 13th in the Premier League table, a second successive season without Champions League football could impact transfer plans.

Ruben Amorim worked with Diomande during his time at Sporting, where the centre-back was named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year during the club’s title triumph in 2023/24. He also formed part of the Ivory Coast team that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024.

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