Arsenal ‘reuniendo información’ sobre la joven estrella de la Copa Africana de Naciones mientras Edu considera pagar la cláusula de rescisión de £68 millones
Arsenal have reportedly sent scouts to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to closely observe Ousmane Diomande, a young player from the Ivory Coast. His potential has attracted interest from several top European clubs, including Arsenal. The club’s sporting director, Edu, is considering whether to trigger Diomande’s release clause in a bid to secure his transfer.
However, the possibility of Arsenal paying the £68 million release clause before the end of the month seems unlikely. Other clubs like Chelsea, Newcastle, Manchester City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Juventus are also monitoring the 20-year-old’s progress. Edu is focusing on Diomande during his AFCON performances with Ivory Coast, as Arsenal’s scouts are on a “special mission” to gather detailed reports on the young center-back.
Diomande, who moved from Danish side Midtjylland to Sporting in a £6.4 million deal, has a release clause that could potentially generate a significant profit for Sporting if he maintains his impressive performances. With his strong physical attributes and performance at an international level, Arsenal sees him as a potential competitor for their current center-backs, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. The next opportunity to observe Diomande will be in Ivory Coast’s match against Senegal in the round of 16.
However, Arsenal is not expected to make any significant transfers until the summer window, despite their interest in the young talent. Their only significant move since the start of the year has been recalling Marquinhos from Nantes. There are also speculations about potential outgoings, with players like Cedric and Mohamed Elneny linked with moves elsewhere.
It is rumored that Arsenal may have blocked the possibility of Jakub Kiwior returning to Serie A, his previous league, after being used sparingly by manager Mikel Arteta. However, the potential arrival of Diomande at Arsenal could further limit Kiwior’s playing time.
