Real Betis starlet attracting attention from Newcastle United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United

Real Betis look to have unearthed a gem in 18-year-old winger Assane Diao, and the task falls to Sporting Director Ramon Planes to secure his future, as a quartet of Premier League giants make their interest felt.

Diao, 18, made his Betis debut this season, but through his pace, neat dribbling and early goal impact, he has already hollowed out a place for himself in Manuel Pellegrini’s squad. He has started their last seven La Liga games in a row, and has four goal in 11 appearances this season.

ED say that Newcastle United, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool are all tracking the teenage talent. The former two have sent scouts to watch Diao in person too.

For Betis, they are now in a hurry to lock him into a higher release clause, given his current form. Currently Los Verdiblancos must double his salary if anyone bids €15m for him, or accept the offer. His current release clause stands at €30m, but Betis want to give him a wage rise and increase that figure to €40-50m, depending on negotiations.

Diao’s form has come as a surprise to many, but continues to look at home and confident in La Liga, and is keeping several of their larger investments out of the team currently. If he continues in the same vein, even the increased release clause being mentioned will start to look a little small.