According to an ‘exclusive’ from The Mirror , Newcastle United plan to ‘step up’ their interest in Sporting Lisbon star Ousmane Diomande this month.
A January move may be off the cards due to our ongoing issues with FFP, but it’s believed Toon have traveled to the African Cup of Nations to watch the highly-rated centre-back in action for the Ivory Coast.
The 20-year-old is expected to be one of the most in-demand defenders this summer following his meteoric rise at Sporting Lisbon and it’s believed Newcastle are eager to make their interest known at AFCON.
Diomande helped his country to a 2-0 win in their opening game of AFCON on Saturday and could be one to watch in their final two groups matches against Nigeria on Thursday and Equatorial Guinea next Monday.
He’s a right-footed centre-back who stands 6ft 3′ tall. He’s been praised for his physicality, pace and quality on the ball, making him a potentially ideal long-term replacement for Fabian Schar.
EXCLUSIVE: Newcastle step up scouting mission to win Ousmane Diomande transfer race | @JamesNursey https://t.co/ozKS3AiFAQ
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) January 13, 2024
