Chelsea have now made an approach to sign a centre-back who is valued at €80m (£66m) by his current club, according to a report.
Chelsea transfer news
The Blues have certainly not been shy to splash the cash in the Todd Boehly era, strengthening their squad considerably in the recent summer transfer window. However, they are still looking to bring in reinforcements during their current Premier League campaign.
Recent reports have indicated that Enzo Maresca wants to bring in recruits in attacking areas, with Nottingham Forest star Murillo said to be on the radar, while there have also been suggestions that a bid of £54m for Barcelona’s Jules Kounde could be on its way.
Not only does Maresca have new forward options in mind, but the manager is seemingly also keen on signing additional defenders, with it being reported the West London outfit hold a major interest in signing Wolves centre-back Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Ait-Nouri has proven himself in the Premier League over a number of years now, making 108 appearances in the competition, however it has now emerged that Chelsea’s options are not merely limited to players currently plying their trade in England.
Chelsea make approach to sign Ousmane Diomande
According to a report from Record Portugal (via Sport Witness), Chelsea have made an approach to sign Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande, who has a release clause of €80m (£66m) in his current contract. However, Maresca is not alone in his pursuit of the 20-year-old, as Premier League rivals Arsenal have also made an approach, while Bayern Munich have recently been intensifying their efforts to take him to the Allianz Arena.
It is said that Chelsea’s approach for the youngster has been knocked back by Sporting, with the Portuguese club insisting on receiving the release clause in full, however the report states it is unlikely they will receive the full amount.
Although the Blues’ initial approach doesn’t appear to have got them anywhere, they are said to be serious about the pursuit and there are indications that it could be worth continuing, given the praise he has received from football scout Jacek Kulig.
Not only that, but the Ivorian excels in his distribution of the ball, averaging a pass-completion rate of 93.7% over the past year, which places him in the 99th percentile compared to his positional peers. This could make the Sporting man a perfect fit in a Maresca system, given that the Chelsea boss prefers to implement a possession-based style of football, with a focus on playing the ball out from the back.
As such, it will be interesting to see whether the Blues intensify their efforts to sign Diomande as we approach the January transfer window.
