Liverpool enter race for €80m Sporting defender | OneFootball

One of the stars of Ruben Amorim’s Sporting CP side could be moving to Liverpool this summer with Ousmane Diomande linked with a transfer to Anfield.

Amorim, 39, appears to be the No.1 candidate for the Liverpool manager’s job when Jurgen Klopp departs.

His Sporting side are currently sitting top of the Liga Portugal, requiring only three wins from their final seven matches to confirm a first league title since 2021.

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The highly-regarded coach has earned a reputation as a developer of players with the likes of Matheus Nunes, Pedro Porro and Manuel Ugarte earning Sporting multi-million euro deals in the transfer market.

This year their potential title-winning squad risks being torn asunder all over again with a number of top stars on the shopping lists of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Striker Viktor Gyokeres is expected to leave as is Goncalo Inacio, a 22-year-old centre back also linked with Liverpool.

Ousmane Diomande on Liverpool's list

And now come the renewed links with Diomande, with Liverpool and Newcastle both tracking his progress, according to FootballTransfers.

The Ivorian, 20, has been a hit in Lisbon since moving from Midtjylland in January 2023, signing a contract until 2027 for a fee of only €7.5 million, potentially rising to €12.5m.

Diomande’s contract contains a release clause of €80m, which the Portuguese club intend to cash in on fully if he is to be sold this summer.

The Reds are in the market for a new defender with considerable doubts over the fitness of Ibrahima Konate and the uncertainty over the future of Joel Matip.

Newcastle, meanwhile, could lose Bruno Guimaraes but reinvest the funds on restocking their backline.

Newcastle also in race for Diomande

The Magpies have suffered the loss of Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman to injuries in recent weeks and are requiring top quality replacements at centre back.

They are also looking at adding free agent Lloyd Kelly, who will leave Bournemouth and who has also been a Liverpool target.

If Amorim is to arrive at Anfield, he could be met with a familiar face in the form of the Africa Cup of Nations winner Diomande.

Chelsea were also linked with the defender during the January transfer window but could not afford to pay what Sporting were asking.

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