Chelsea they are now among the favorites to win the race for the “elite talent” with a £68m release clause, according to the report.
Maresca wants to step up in January
Enzo Maresca is looking to bring in reinforcements in a number of positions this month, with the manager trying to get his side’s season back on track after a recent slump in form.
One of the areas where the Blues want to strengthen is the left wing, and now they have made one approach the signing of Alejandro Garnach from Manchester Unitedwhich could cost around £60 million.
Garnacho is not the only Man United player Chelsea are interested in signing, with the central midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is also targetedwhile the Blues are now in prime position to sign the Deportivo La Coruna winger Yeremay Hernandez.
Given that Brighton & Hove Albion have made contact about the contract to be signed Tosin AdarabioyoMaresca could also be tasked with bringing in a new defender this month, and now information has been released about their pursuit of Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP.
Connected
After the first time he did access for the defender back in November, the Blues are now leading the race for Diomanda’s signatureaccording to a report by CaughtOffside.
Arsenal and Manchester United are also in the race to sign the centre-back, but Chelsea are believed to be among the favourites.
The Sporting star wants to move to Premier League and also favors a move to London, which could give Maresca’s side an advantage over Man Utd in negotiations.
To get the deal done, the Blues may have to be prepared to spend big, as the 21-year-old has an €80m (£68m) release clause included in his contract with Sporting.
Diomande shows great potential
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig heaped praise on the youngster, hinting that he is capable of playing at the highest level.
The 6-foot-3 defenseman has established himself as a key player for Sporting in the last two seasons and is showing signs that he could make the step up to a club the size of Chelsea.
With Maresco favoring a possession-based style of playit is important to sign players capable of upgrading from the back, and the Ivorian is located in 99th percentile for his pass completion rate to 90 over the past year.
As such, it is exciting news that Chelsea are now one of the favorites to sign Diomande, but they should look to strike a deal for less than the release clause given that he is still unproven in Europe’s big leagues.
