Exclusive: Arsenal have been “tracking” £68m transfer target for some time, says expert

Arsenal have been tracking Sporting Lisbon defender Ousmane Diomande for some time now, but are not the only club showing an interest, according to Fabrizio Romano in his exclusive CaughtOffside column.

Diomande, who could cost as much as £68million if he is to leave Sporting, looks a terrific young talent and it’s not surprising to hear that there is a lot of admiration for him from a number of clubs.

Arsenal have some quality defensive options at the moment, with the likes of William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White capable of playing centre-back, while there’ll also be Jurrien Timber once he returns from injury.

Still, it makes sense to monitor a talent like Diomande, with the 19-year-old Ivory Coast international surely set for a big career at the highest level.

For the time being, however, Romano insists there haven’t been any negotiations over Diomande as he wasn’t for sale this summer.

“Arsenal, meanwhile, have been linked strongly with Sporting Lisbon defender Ousmane Diomande by the Portuguese press,” Romano said.

“I’m told he’s a player they’ve been tracking for a long time, but it’s not only Arsenal. There are three or four clubs monitoring Diomande for the future, but it was never a negotiation this summer as he wasn’t for sale.”

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