Chelsea are now racing Arsenal for the signing of a £68m defender who is a “hybrid between Gabriel and Saliba”, according to a report.
Blues set sights on new defender
The Blues took a huge step towards qualification for the Champions League on Sunday afternoon, picking up a 3-1 victory against Premier League champions Liverpool. If Enzo Maresca’s side manage to seal a top-five finish, they should be in a strong position to sign some top players in the summer transfer window, and they have set their sights on bringing in a new centre-back.
AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen once again caught the eye at the weekend, scoring the equalising goal in his side’s 2-1 triumph at Arsenal, and the Spaniard is among the main targets in defence, with positive talks over a deal being held back in April.
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Another option is Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, with the west Londoners now believed to be seriously considering a move for the 19-year-old, having held a long-standing interest.
Hato is not the only young centre-back on the shortlist, however, with a report from Defensa Central detailing that Chelsea are now in the race to sign Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande, but there could be fierce competition for his signature.
Arsenal are keen on the centre-back, who is viewed as a potential replacement for William Saliba, while Real Madrid and Newcastle United are also in the running, but a deal will not be cheap. Sporting CP have set an asking price of around €80m (£68m), so the Blues must be willing to spend big in order to get a deal over the line.
Diomande dubbed "hybrid between Gabriel and Saliba"
It is little wonder that Arsenal are also in the running for the 21-year-old, given that he could be a like-for-like replacement for Saliba, having been compared to the Frenchman and centre-back partner Gabriel by football scout Ben Mattinson.
There are also signs the youngster could be a good fit in a Maresca system, given his ability in possession of the ball, completing a total of 1581 accurate passes in the Liga Portugal last season, the fifth-highest number of any player.
There has been a heavy focus on bringing in talented youngsters under BlueCo, and Diomande certainly falls into that category, so he could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea this summer, although the £68m asking price is a little steep, considering he is unproven outside Portugal.
