Leonino exclusive: Sporting set price to open Diomande talks | OneFootball

Sporting have already decided that they will not accept less than €50 million for Ousmane Diomande, Leonino has learned. Despite strong interest from England and other European leagues, the SAD led by Frederico Varandas is not willing to make the Ivorian international’s departure any easier and has set its minimum price to open negotiations.

The club’s officials believe that a possible transfer will only make sense for figures compatible with the importance the defender has within the team.

Clubs such as Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle, Crystal Palace and, more recently, Leeds United have been linked with the player. However, so far, no formal offer has reached Alvalade that meets Sporting’s board’s demands.

Internally, Diomande continues to be seen as a key player for Rui Borges. The possible departure of several influential squad members further increases the defender’s importance in the project for 2026/27, which is why Sporting intend to resist market approaches as much as possible.

The Ivory Coast international renewed his contract in January until 2030 and is protected by an €80 million release clause. Although the Lions are willing to negotiate below that amount, the minimum threshold has been set and is not expected to change throughout the summer.

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