Crystal Palace are accompanied by Newcastle United in hovering around Ousmane Diomande.
A BOLA report fresh tension between Sporting and the defender over a new contract. The 21-year-old has resisted the club’s attempts to extend his deal to 2030, despite Sporting offering a salary increase and making him one of their renewal priorities.
The outlet states that Sporting have pushed hard to secure the centre-back’s future, but Diomande’s camp has shown little appetite to accept the terms on the table.
His current contract runs until 2027, and if he enters the final year without renewing, which would be the case in the summer of 2026, a departure becomes easier to execute. With the World Cup also taking place that year, the player knows that market conditions may tilt in his favour.
Premier League keeping pressure on ahead of 2026 window
Crystal Palace remain very much in the frame. As previously reported, the club had €55m ready for a deal in the last window. Now they continue to track the Sporting defender closely. Now Newcastle United also follow him.
But Sporting intend to hold firm. The defender’s €80m release clause is set to remain untouched in a new contract, should it ever be agreed.
Diomande currently earns around €400k net (€800k gross) per year, and the renewal would at least double that figure, raising him into the upper tier of the club’s wage structure. Even so, his entourage prefer to delay decisions and assess the market next summer.
Sporting’s investment reinforces stance as uncertainty grows
The report adds context on Sporting’s investment. The Portuguese club paid €7.5m to Midtjylland in 2023, and performance triggers added a further €7m.
Sporting also spent €2m to reduce Midtjylland’s future sell-on share from 20% to 10%. With 110 appearances, six goals and two assists already, the club see him as a major asset and will continue to push for an agreement.
Whether Crystal Palace or Newcastle increase pressure before the summer remains to be seen, but negotiations in Lisbon are currently far from straightforward.
