Newcastle send scouts to watch £70m teenager ‘interested’ in Premier League move

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Newcastle United have sent scouts to watch over highly-rated Sporting Lisbon defender Ousmane Diomande in at least three different games.

The Magpies are very keen to add to their ranks in the upcoming window and are eyeing up a potential move for one of the most exciting talents in Europe.

SunSport are reporting that Newcastle are considering making a January bid for Sporting centre-back Diomande to form a formidable partnership with Sven Botman in the backline for the next decade.

Newcastle watch Diomande in action

Scouts from Newcastle have been watching over the Sporting defender as he played a key role in helping his side go 10 games unbeaten before this weekend’s clash against Benfica which ended in a 2-1 defeat.

Though Fabian Schar has been one of the Premier League’s top centre-backs in the last couple of years, Newcastle appreciate that the Swiss international is 31 years old and that they need to find a long-term partner for Botman to compete at the top.

Diomande’s physicality and speed would suggest he could adapt well to the Premier League, and his ability to take players on one-on-one is exactly why he is as listed as the fifth-best wonderkid in the world.

Diomande will come at a price

Diomande joined Sporting in January from Midtjylland for a fee of around £6.5m and has grown exponentially ever since, sparking interest from the likes of Newcastle.

He made his first-team debut back in February and has now established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet, making 16 appearances across all competitions for the Portuguese side this season.

Diomande’s contract, which runs until 2027, includes a release clause of £70m. This would surely be far too steep for Newcastle’s January budget, so they would have to rely on the teenager’s interest in joining the Premier League if they are to sway him to come to Tyneside.

Newcastle are not alone in their interest in the teenager. Arsenal had previously shown to be keen on the defender after having a £30m bid rejected in the summer while Chelsea are also believed to have been keeping an eye on his situation.