Arsenal have reportedly made Sporting Lisbon defender Ousmane Diomande their top target to replace William Saliba amid worrying new reports that Real Madrid are prepared to stop at nothing in their quest to sign the stylish France centre-half.
Saliba has been a mainstay of the Gunners defence ever since he was finally handed his chance by Mikel Arteta in August 2022 – some three years after signing – and has since gone to rack up 92 appearances in the heart of defence. Now recognised by fans and pundits alike as one of the best in the world, Saliba is part of an Arsenal defence that has been breached just six times in 630 minutes of action so far this season.
However, speculation on his future has gathered pace in recent weeks amid claims Real Madrid have made the 24-times capped France international one of three defensive objectives for 2025, alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alphonso Davies.
And while Liverpool man Alexander-Arnold and Bayern Munich left-back Davies could potentially arrive as free agents, Los Blancos would need to present a truly mammoth offer to Arsenal to persuade them to cash in on Saliba.
However, their president Florentino Perez is seemingly refusing to take no for an answer and Football Espana now reports they have made the signing of a new centre-half a primary focus for next year – and with Saliba right at the top of their wishlist.
Understandably, Arsenal will not want to sell their stylish defender – seen by many as a future club captain – though reports in Portugal claim Mikel Arteta and Edu are preparing for that possibility by making Sporting’s 20-year-old centre-half Diomande their top target to come in should Saliba be lured away.
And according to Record, the Gunners have kept a regular check on the Ivorian’s progress over the past 12 months having been noted as ‘sharks’ in their quest to bring Diomande to the Premier League.
How much will Diomande cost and what has Arteta said about Saliba?
Such a deal will not come cheap, with Record reporting that Sporting will hold out for the player’s full €80m (£67m, $87.6m) exit clause if a firm approach for his services is made.
And having paid Midtjylland a modest €7.5m (£6.3m, $8.2m) fee for his services in January 2023, they stand to make a huge profit on their initial investment. That said, the Danish side will be in line for another major windfall after wisely negotiating a 20% sell-on clause into the original agreement.
As far as Saliba is concerned, Arteta will be doing all in his power to keep the £120m (€143.3m, $156.8m) rated defender at Emirates Stadium.
The Frenchman was rewarded with a new £190,000 a week deal in July 2023 which runs through until June 2027 and while we can confirm Real Madrid have been in contact with his agents, Arsenal will have no desire to cash in on the star.
Saliba himself has made clear his desire to stay at Arsenal, telling the Daily Mirror recently: “I didn’t achieve anything yet, so I want to win everything“I think we can achieve everything. Of course, it’s easy to say this, but we have the coach, we have the character, we have the players and every year the team gets stronger.
“We have better players with a good mentality. We have a good experience from the last season as well. We know that the season is so long. So we are confident and we know we can do something good at this club.”
Arteta has also spoken of his huge admiration for the incredible defensive partnership he has built with Gabriel Magalhaes in a clear sign he sees that as a bedrock for Arsenal success for years to come.
“You have to see the development day by day,” the head coach stated.
“Obviously we believed they could become really good. That togetherness and chemistry is unique, it’s something that they built. It happened very organically as well. I’m very proud to have them the level they are showing is incredible.”
Semenyo has underlined his qualities playing in attack this summer and is now regarded as one of the Premier League’s best wingers outside the top six, having made himself a vital cog in Andoni Iraola’s side. The likes of Liverpool and Newcastle have also been linked with Semenyo in recent days.
Kerkez, meanwhile, is seen as a possible upgrade for the likes of Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back, with one or both likely to leave in 2025.
Elsewhere, the Gunners have reportedly joined Chelsea and Barcelona in pursuing Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane.
The former Man City winger is due to become a free agent next summer, but a string of top clubs on red alert.
IN PROFILE: Who is Ousmane Diomande?
Standing at an imposing 190cm (6ft 3in), Diomande was born and raised in the Ivory Coast and first made his move to Europe with Danish team FC Midtjylland in January 2020.
For the next two years, Diomande would remain in the youth system at the Danish outfit, but in the summer of 2022 he finalised a loan switch to Portuguese second-tier team Mafra without ever appearing for Midtjylland’s first team.
His impressive performances caught the eye of top-flight side Sporting, who had his loan cut short after six months to purchase the 19-year-old permanently.
A week after signing he would make his first-team debut as a substitute in a 1-0 away win at Rio Ave. He started and played every minute in Sporting CP’s Europa League round of 16 second-leg tie away at Arsenal, where the Portuguese team would draw 1-1 and eventually claim victory via penalties.
Diomande made his debut for the Ivory Coast in September 2023 in a 1-0 victory over Lesotho.
0 Comments