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Leeds United know Sporting Lisbon are ‘not looking to sell’ Ousmane Diomande, but have ‘approached’ the player’s camp as they explore a possible deal.
Diomande arrived at Sporting Lisbon in January 2023 from Danish club FC Midtjylland for €7.5m, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Portuguese side.
The Ivorian has had an impactful tenure at Sporting Lisbon, playing a key role in helping the Portuguese club win back-to-back domestic league titles.
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In the recent Liga Portugal season, the 22-year-old defender, who was sidelined for a significant period due to injuries, made 17 appearances for the club, while providing one assist.
Diomande’s progress at Sporting Lisbon has regularly seen him appear on the radar of Premier League sides.
Crystal Palace showed interest last summer, but were not keen on meeting Sporting Lisbon’s price tag, while Liverpool, Newcastle United and Manchester United also looked at possible bids the previous year.
Diomande is still at the Portuguese giants, but is again a wanted man, with Leeds having been looking at taking him to Elland Road.
| CB option | |
|---|---|
| Jaka Bijol | Pascal Struijk |
| Ethan Ampadu | Joe Rodon |
| James Justin | Sebastiaan Bornauw |
| Max Wober |
However, Sporting Lisbon are in no mood to sell their star defender, with the club expected to ‘resist’ Leeds’ efforts to sign the 22-year-old.
Leeds though, according to Portuguese sports daily A Bola, have already ‘approached’ Diomande’s camp about a move.
The Yorkshire giants are aware that Sporting Lisbon are ‘not looking to sell’ and as such are willing to splash the cash to change minds in Portugal.
The Whites could offer a €40m fee, along with €10m in add-ons, meaning a potential pay day for Sporting Lisbon of €50m.
It is suggested that ‘the next step’ could be Leeds sending a formal proposal to Sporting Lisbon, who want to keep Diomande for one more year at least.
Diomande has an €80m release clause in his contract in Portugal.
Improving the defence appears to be top priority for Daniel Farke this summer, as Leeds ‘are pushing hard to enter the race’ to sign departing Union Berlin defender Diogo Leite.
