Crystal Palace have opened talks to sign Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Eagles are in the market to strengthen their squad after a successful 2024/25 season where they won their first ever major trophy, beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final and qualifying for the Europa League as a result.
Now the south London club are looking to bolster ahead of the new campaign and have identified Ivory Coast international Diomande as a target to do just that.
Crystal Palace ‘Open Talks’ for Diomande
Ivorian is open to Premier League move
Diomande, who has been described as ‘phenomenal’ and is regarded as one of the top centre-back prospects in Europe, has been a regular for Sporting CP in the 2024/25 season as they lfited their second consecutive Portuguese league title.
His performances in the league and Champions League have attracted the attention of clubs across Europe, and Palace are looking to take an advantage in the race by moving first.
According to Romano the Eagles have now opened talks over a deal for the defender after Glasner green-lit the move himself, and Diomande is said to be open to making the switch to the Premier League too.
Crystal Palace want to strengthen their defensive options as they look set to lose captain Marc Guehi during the summer window, with the England international currently entering the final 12 months of his contract at Selhurst Park.
Guehi has strong interest from the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle and is said to be keen to play in the Champions League. But Palace won’t let him go easily, having rejected £70m offers last summer and during the January transfer window too.
Ideally the Eagles would like Diomande to join the club alongside Guehi, however, the most realistic outcome seems to be that he will instead arrive as a replacement.
| Ousmane Diomande Stats 2024/25 | |
|---|---|
| Games | 38(2) |
| MInutes | 3278 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Tackles p/g | 1.1 |
| Blocks p/g | 0.4 |
| Clearances p/g | 2.8 |
