Chelsea transfer latest as club 'ready to make opening bid' for two Sporting CP players
Chelsea are reportedly ready to make an opening bid for Sporting CP players Ousmane Diomande and Viktor Gyokeres.
The Blues made contact with the Portuguese club last week as Mauricio Pochettino looks to strengthen his already-packed squad with more quality for the second half of the season. Now, according to journalist Ekrem Konur, Chelsea are ready to make an opening bid for both Diomande and Gyokeres.
Diomande, 20, has been identified as a key target though the 20-year-old Ivorian defender will certainly not come cheap, with his release clause thought to be at around £69million. His former club FC Midtjylland is owed 20 per cent of any profit Lisbon makes on a future transfer too, incentivising the Primeira Liga side to keep their asking price high.
A target for Arsenal last summer, Diomande has been compared to Tottenham Hotspur centre-half Cristian Romero by footballtalentscout, with their front-footed play styles said to be quite similar. If Chelsea were to sign him, he'd join a roster of centre-backs already at the club that includes Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, Axel Disasi, Wesley Fofana and Thiago Silva.
Of that group, Fofana is out with a long-term knee injury and Chalobah is available for sale in January to help fund new purchases. Silva, who turns 40 next year, could also leave when his contract expires in the summer, with Diomande a more long-term option for the Blues going forward.
Gyokeres would also not come cheap for Chelsea if they wanted him to join Diomande at Stamford Bridge. The Swedish striker, known in England for his time at Coventry City, has scored 17 goals and registered eight assists in 20 matches after joining Sporting over the summer.
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