Newcastle United Are In The Mix To Land This Talented Defender:

In a recent report, journalist Rudy Galetti mentioned that Newcastle United are in the mix to land Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande. It has been stated that the Magpies would have to rival Real Madrid and Chelsea in the race to sign the Ivory Coast centre-back.The 21-year-old had a solid campaign at the Portuguese club as he put in a string of impressive displays at the heart of their backline. Diomande made 46 appearances for Sporting last season, netting two goals and grabbing one assist in multiple competitionsThe Ivory Coast talent did well to make 36 tackles, 16 blocks and 32 interceptions per 90 minutes in Liga Portugal. He was even excellent when distributing possession from the back based on his pass completion rate of 93.5% in the Portuguese top tier (stats viaHis current contract at the Portuguese club will expire in the summer of 2027 which could make it tough for Newcastle to get a deal done for him on the cheap this off-season.Diomande is a solid tackler of the ball and can time his challenges well to secure the ball back for his team inside his half. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when needed and is even proficient at playing his way out from the back.Standing at 1.90m, the Ivory Coast youngster is a strong presence in the air as well. However, he is still quite inexperienced at the highest level. Furthermore, there are some concerns over whether he can make a smooth transition to life in the Premier League if the Magpies manage to snap him up this summer.Diomande would add more bite and steel to Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe’s defence. He is already good enough to compete for regular first-team football at the Tyneside club next season.At 21, the future looks quite promising for Diomande as long as he continues to improve with each year. He would be a great signing for the Magpies in the long run, so Howe should focus on going all out to bring the gifted defender to St. James’ Park in this summer transfer period.