Man United preparing move to sign £51m-rated Chelsea target who is now available for £35m this summer

Man United preparing move to sign £51m-rated Chelsea target who is now available for £35m this summer

Manchester United are considering a cut-price move for Sporting Lisbon centre-back Ousmane Diomande this summer, according to Express Sport.

The Red Devils are weighing up options to replace Raphael Varane who will be leaving as a free-agent when his contract expires on June 30.

The club are likely to prioritise an emerging player over a marquee signing and Express Sport claim that Diomande is currently on their radar.

Diomande has a release clause worth £68 million in his contract. Sporting recently lowered their price to £51m as they need to balance their books before June 30.

It is now reported that the Primeira Liga champions could seriously accept offers in the region of £35m and United are mulling over a transfer proposal for him.

The club met his representatives earlier last season. Further talks are scheduled once the future of manager Erik ten Hag becomes clear in the coming days.

The 20-year-old joined Sporting from FC Midtjylland in January last year. He has since developed into one of the best young central defenders in Europe’s top-seven leagues.

Diomande has caught the eye with his strong distribution skills and defensive attributes. In the recent campaign, he had a passing accuracy of 92 per cent in the Primeira Liga.

He won an impressive 72 per cent of his aerial challenges with 5.1 ball recoveries per game. The youngster was dispossessed on only six occasions on average for Sporting.

Diomande would be a fantastic signing to replace Varane. He is still in the early phase of his career and could develop into a world-class centre-back with his immense potential.

At £35m, he would be a bargain for United. However, the lower fee could also attract interest from Premier League rivals such as Chelsea and Arsenal, who have been following him closely.