Arsenal make approach for €80m-rated centre-back as Arteta rules out exit of ‘tempted’ defender
Premier League side Arsenal have made an approach for Sporting Lisbon centre-back Ousmane Diomande, according to reports.
The Gunners have got five priorities in the summer transfer market with Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu reportedly wanting two midfielders, a centre-back, a right-back and a forward.
William Saliba, who is reportedly set to sign a new contract at the Emirates Stadium, and Gabriel Magalhaes are Arteta’s preferred centre-back pairing but they have struggled for back-up at times this season with Ben White being deployed at right-back in Takehiro Tomiyasu’s absence.
And now Sporting’s Diomande has joined the Gunners’ list of summer transfer targets at centre-back with Portuguese publication Record claiming that Arsenal have made a recent approach for the defender.
The Ivorian, who spent part of his youth career at Danish side Midtjylland before moving to Sporting Lisbon in January for €7.5m, has an €80m release clause.
And it seems like that is the figure Arsenal will have to get to in order to prise him away from the Portuguese giants this summer after impressing in 15 appearances since joining.
Sporting have ‘closed the door’ to a possible transfer this summer with Italian outfit Juventus also interested in Diomande’s signature.
Both Arsenal and Juventus have now asked about the player as they seek clarity over his future but Sporting responded by saying a deal is ‘impossible’ unless a club pays his huge release fee.
Jakub Kiwior has also provided back-up for Arteta after joining the Premier League runners-up from Spezia in the winter transfer window with the Poland international needed towards the end of the campaign when Saliba picked up a back injury.
There have been links to Napoli only six months into his time at Arsenal and La Repubblica insists the 23-year-old is already ‘tempted’ to return to Serie A.
Another Italian outlet CalcioNapoli24 insists that Napoli’s attempt to sign Kiwior is ‘practically freezing’ with Arteta having ‘no intention’ of allowing the defender to leave.
That is backed up by quotes from Arteta last month with the Arsenal boss excited about Kiwior’s potential and development.
After beating Chelsea, Arteta said of Kiwior: “He’s been getting better and better every single day, not only in training but his interaction and his language. He’s more settled and he’s a player that I really like, that’s why I signed him.
“He has the potential at his age to be great and he had a big task against the players he had to face today, and I think he did really well.”
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