Ousmane Diomande has deal in place for 'easier' Sporting exit | OneFootball

The official announcement of Ousmane Diomande's contract renewal with Sporting was made on January 23, just a few days after the defender returned from the CAN, a competition in which he represented Ivory Coast. Even before traveling to Morocco, the terms for the extension of the contract were already defined between the parties and now new details are known that may facilitate his departure from Alvalade.

The new contract extends the connection until 2030, includes a salary increase, and maintains the release clause at 80 million euros, a high amount for a central defender, but aligned with the importance the player has assumed at Alvalade. The Sporting SAD thus ensures the protection of one of the most valued assets of the squad at a time when the English market remains particularly attentive.

As previously reported, Ousmane Diomande showed some initial resistance to formalizing the new agreement. With a contract valid until 2027, he would enter the last year of his contract next summer, a scenario that could reduce Sporting's negotiating margin with potential interested parties. The situation was eventually overcome through an informal understanding between the player, his representatives, and the management, according to which concrete offers between 40 and 50 million euros will be considered openly, reveals the newspaper A Bola.

The Ivorian international remains strongly referenced in the Premier League. Crystal Palace and Newcastle United are two of the clubs that are closely monitoring his progress. Last summer, the London club was reportedly close to making an offer of around 55 million euros, but the failure to sell Marc Guéhi ultimately halted the operation.

Meanwhile, Guéhi transferred in January to Manchester City for 23 million euros, a value influenced by the fact that he was at the end of his contract and had refused to renew. Palace sought to strengthen the defensive line with alternatives such as Ruben Kluivert from Olympique Lyonnais and Lucas Ordoñez from Club Brugge, but without success, and may look to Diomande again in the next market.

Newcastle, also owned by the Saudi sovereign fund PIF, has the financial capacity to make a move. Represented by the agency Roof, with strong international connections, the Sporting central defender could further increase his value if he stands out in the summer World Cup, a competition for which he is expected to be called up by Ivory Coast. In a market governed by the law of supply and demand, the interest tends to intensify and could influence the outcome of the next transfer window.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.