2
Manchester United got a positive end to the season with their unexpected but fully deserved FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
The game was notable for a number of reasons, one of them being a nice swansong for players who are set to leave in the summer.
Raphael Varane, in particular, covered himself in glory, resuming his partnership with Lisandro Martinez in the middle of defence as a “Last Dance” of sorts to take Erling Haaland out of the game.
However, the game waits for nobody, and upon his departure, the eyes are already on who will replace him in the mid-to-long term.
Express reports that United are eyeing Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande who could be available for a cut-price deal.
Diomande has a release clause worth £68 million but Sporting recognise that the figure will likely be prohibitive to potential suitors.
Therefore, they could be willing to talk around £51 million with the potential for the final price being as low as just £35 million.
For a 20-year-old ball-playing defender already established at Sporting, that has the potential to be a tremendous bargain.
Diomande is the perfect modern defender with his unique skills on the ball, physicality, and calmness out of it.
Alongside Goncalo Inacio, he has formed the bedrock of a Sporting Defence that has now won two titles under the coaching of Ruben Amorim.
He fits the profile of a right-sided centre-back to replace Raphael Varane, with his skillset perfectly suited to playing alongside left-footed Martinez.
The Ivorian also fulfils INEOS’ criteria of a young, potentially world-class talent who can grow along with the young core of the team as it progresses towards greatness.
In Rasmus Hojlund, Kobbie Mainoo, and Alejandro Garnacho, United already have their trinity set as the spine of the team but it lacks a defender.
Diomande has the potential to be that man and much more. For £35 million, that looks like a no-brainer deal to make regardless of who’s manager next season.
Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.