CHELSEA are leading the race to sign Ousmane Diomande, according to reports.
The defender, 20, has impressed since joining Sporting Lisbon from Midtjylland last year.
His strong performances for Sporting have already attracted plenty of Premier League interest.
According to Portuguese paper Record, Chelsea are very keen on Diomande.
They claim that the Blues have already made contact with his representatives ahead of potentially getting a deal done.
Chelsea would reportedly be willing to pay around £51million up-front for the Ivory Coast international.
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Sporting are claimed to want a further £17m in add-ons, which Record claim Chelsea would be willing to pay.
Newcastle and Arsenal are also interested in Diomande.
And should Chelsea’s potential FFP concerns lead to them having to tighten the purse strings this summer, Diomande could move to the Toon or Gunners.
Elsewhere, Juventus are also believed to be interested in the commanding 6ft 3in ace.
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But the Serie A side would be unlikely to be able to match Sporting’s asking price.
Diomande has made 43 appearances for the Portuguese giants since signing in January 2023.
His side currently top their league, while they are also fighting on the European front.
Earlier this week Diomande featured as they drew 1-1 with Atalanta in the Europa League round of 16.
They will travel to Italy next week for the second leg.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
