According to reports, Newcastle United scouts have been in Portugal this week to watch Sporting Lisbon duo Morten Hjulmand and Ousmane Diomande.
This comes from Graeme Bailey at HITC, who claims that Toon officials were in attendance at the Estadio da Luz to watch Sporting’s 2-2 draw at Benfica, with Danish midfielder Hjulmand and Ivorian centre-back Diomande the two players in focus.
Hjulmand, 24, is a defensive midfielder who has impressed in Portugal since coming in to replace Joao Palhinha. He previously captained former club Lecce, has five caps for Denmark and has weighed in with four goals and four assists this season, scoring in the midweek when Toon scouts were thought to be in the stands.
Diomande is a name that’s been linked with a possible move to St James’ Park for several months now. The highly-rated 20-year-old seems to be one of the right-sided centre-backs we are looking at as a potential long-term replacement for Fabian Schar, as the Ivory Coast star has been praised for his pace, athleticism, dominance in the air and confidence on the ball.
He has a £70m release clause in his current contract, but current Transfermarkt valuations suggest he’s worth around €40m. It’s claimed Manchester United are also watching Hjulmand, while Arsenal and Chelsea have both been linked with Diomande.
