7 months ago
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Arsenal are considering a summer move for Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande after he caught the eye during a scouting trip to see striker Victor Gyokeres in action.
Gyokeres is one of the forwards the Gunners have on their shortlist for the next transfer window after a superb season so far for the Sweden international.
The 25-year-old has scored 36 goals in 39 games across all competitions for the Portuguese side after signing for the bargain fee of around £17m.
The Swede continued to impress in a recent 6-1 thrashing of Benfica as he netted a hat-trick with Arsenal scouts in attendance.
However, it wasn’t just Gyokeres who caught the eye, with The Sun reporting that defender Diomande also impressed and received a glowing review from the Gunners representatives.
The 20-year-old is also well-liked by Chelsea and there could be big bids from the Premier League this summer, with the Ivory Coast international valued at around £50m.
Diomande only signed for Sporting in January last year for an initial fee of around £6.5m, but a much bigger move is now in the offing.
Arsenal will have to think carefully about where to invest this summer, with Mikel Arteta keen to add to both his defence and attack, but to do so they will likely have to raise money through sales.
The Sporting pair of Gyokeres and Diomande would cost around £100m, with Sporting reportedly putting an asking price of £43m on the striker.
Chelsea and AC Milan are also credited with an interest in the Swedish forward, so that price could rise if a bidding war gets underway.
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