Club happy to sell Man United target for £20m below release clause, worrying reason why

Sporting Lisbon are reportedly happy to sell Manchester United target Ousmane Diomande for a cut-price deal this summer, with the player a ‘replacement’ for Raphaël Varane.

Manchester United are reportedly looking to sign two new central defenders this summer. Raphaël Varane is leaving Old Trafford, and the futures of Jonny Evans, Harry Maguire, and Victor Lindelöf remain unclear.

Although the club were originally linked to Tosin Adarabioyo, they reportedly passed up on the chance, with INEOS wanting to focus on potentially recruiting Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite instead.

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But with two centre-backs needed, they have also been linked with a host of new names, and Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande has been outlined as a “priority” target this summer.

This is according to A Bola, whose report explains that United have identified a player who can replace Raphaël Varane. The 20-year-old central defender impresses both in Portugal and on the international stage with the Ivory Coast.

The report further claims that Sporting are aiming to set the bar for his transfer at around £40-50 million after he arrived at the club in January 2023.

The interesting piece of news comes when it’s considered that Diamonde is said to have a release clause estimated to sit at around £68 million, meaning Sporting have cut the demanding price for the defender by at least £20 million, which can be seen as a warning sign.

The A Bola report states that despite Diamonde being “a key player in the first half of the league, the centre-back lost his spark after taking part in the Africa Cup of Nations in January.”

Despite this worrying reason for the price drop, it is expected that a player aged 20 may suffer from irregularities in form, just as Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Højlund have experienced this season.

However, United are well known for putting their trust in young players, and should Diamonde sign for the Red Devils, he will almost certainly be given time to adapt and grow at Old Trafford.