Arsenal can sign target for €50m as club drop request – Player selected in league’s best XI

Arsenal can go and sign one of the best defenders in the Portuguese league for €50m this summer.

That’s according to Correio da Manhã, who today feature a story with some comments on the recent rumours which link the Gunners and Sporting centre-back Ousmane Diomande.

The outlet claims that the Lions ‘admit’ selling the player this summer, as long as there’s a good bid on the table.

Diomande is protected by a €80m release clause, but since the initial approaches showed clubs weren’t keen on going close to that, they’ve now set a new price of €50m.

Correio da Manhã points out that Arsenal’s interest is ‘nothing new’, with the chase gaining more strength with reports from the English media lately.

Diomande may have had ups and downs this season, but Sporting’s title means a lot, and that’s probably why he was elected in the Portuguese League’s best XI by coaches and captains.

That award was revealed today, as the league’s social media accounts are revealing one name each day. For now, we don’t know who the other centre-back will be, and there’s a good chance that’s his partner Gonçalo Inácio.