Chelsea eyeing move for Ivorian defender

Chelsea will look to return to winning ways when they face Newcastle United on Monday evening. 

The Blues currently sit 11th in the Premier League table, just one place below the Magpies who have also struggled in recent months.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side have endured a difficult season so far having won just ten of their 26 league games until now.

Newcastle will undoubtedly provide a stern test for the Blues at Stamford Bridge, though, as they look to keep alive their chances of European qualification for next season.

In the meantime, it appears that Chelsea are eyeing a move for a highly rated defender this summer.

As per Portuguese outlet Record via The Sun, the West London outfit are chasing Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande.

The report claims that Chelsea are ‘very keen’ on the Ivorian defender and have already made contact about a possible move.

Diomande has attracted interest from Chelsea

Diomande, 20, joined Sporting from Danish side FC Midtjylland in January last year and has since impressed for the Portuguese giants.

In total he has made 43 appearances for the club across all competitions, 26 of which have been this season.

It is claimed that Chelsea would be willing to pay an initial fee of £51 million to sign Diomande, despite spending more than £1 billion on new signings since Todd Boehly took charge of the club in 2022.

Sporting are reportedly demanding an additional £17 million in add-ons, which Chelsea are willing to pay.

Diomande’s current contract is set to expire at the end of the 2026/27 season, but Sporting could opt to cash in on him this summer while his value is extremely high.

The report also claims that Chelsea are leading the race to sign Diomande ahead of several other clubs, including fellow Premier League sides Arsenal and Newcastle.