Chelsea are interested in signing the Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande.
A report from Portuguese publication Record (h/t SportWitness) claims that Chelsea have now sent scouts to watch the 19-year-old in action.
Diomande was in action during a friendly between Ivory Coast and Morocco and scouts from the Premier League club monitored his performance. The player has been linked with the move to Arsenal as well and the Gunners tried to sign him during the summer transfer window.
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal return with an offer to sign him in the coming months.
Chelsea are looking to add more depth to their defensive department and the 19-year-old would be a quality long-term investment.
Apparently Sporting CP value the player highly and they are hoping to tie him down to a new long-term contract. The Portuguese outfit are ready to insert a release clause of around €80 million in his deal once it is signed.
It will be interesting to see if Chelsea are prepared to pay a premium for him. They will have to find a quality, long-term replacement for Thiago Silva and Diomande should prove to be an interesting acquisition.
The opportunity to join clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea will be an attractive option for the player and it will be interesting to see if he decides to sign the new contract. The €80 million release clause could prove to be prohibitive for most clubs and it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds.