Ousmane Diomande holds up Sporting signing for next season | OneFootball

Ibrahima Ba remains highly rated by Sporting, but any potential move by the Lions for the Famalicão centre-back depends directly on the future of Ousmane Diomande. For now, Sporting’s board has not yet made any formal offer for the Senegalese defender.

Even so, the young centre-back continues to impress the club’s hierarchy, including the coaching staff led by Rui Borges. Sporting have been closely monitoring the development of Ibrahima Ba for several months, seeing the defender as a player with the potential to play a leading role at Alvalade should there be a major departure in central defence.

The main obstacle to the deal at this stage is the figures demanded by Famalicão. The Minho club are unwilling to negotiate the transfer of the 20-year-old for less than €20 million, a fee currently considered too high by Sporting’s decision-makers.

The centre-back’s rise in value also stems from the consistent season he has enjoyed for Hugo Oliveira’s side. In March, Ibrahima Ba was named Liga Portugal Betclic’s best defender of the month, beating names such as Jan Bednarek and Kiwior.

On Sporting’s side, there is still no official offer for Diomande, although there is full awareness at Alvalade that the Ivory Coast international is one of the most highly valued players in the squad. The English market, where he has several suitors, appears to be the most likely destination if an offer considered impossible for the Lions to turn down comes in.

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