Newcastle United Set To Rival Liverpool For This Talented Defender: Good Fit For The Magpies? | OneFootball

In a recent print edition, O Jogo mentioned that Newcastle United are set to rival Liverpool for Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande. It has been claimed that the Magpies are keeping tabs on the Ivory Coast central defender in the summer.

Diomande’s Impressive Numbers In Portuguese Football

Diomande is having a decent campaign at the Portuguese club as he has put in a series of solid performances at the heart of their backline. The Ivory Coast sensation has scored two goals and grabbed one assist in 26 matches for Sporting this season across multiple competitions.

The 20-year-old deserves a ton of credit for averaging 1.4 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 1.5 clearances per 90 minutes in Liga Portugal. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball from the back based on his pass success rate of 91.2% in the Portuguese top-flight (stats via whoscored).

His current deal at the Portuguese club will run out in the summer of 2027. Hence, it would be difficult for the Magpies to sign him on a cut-price deal at the end of this season.

Sporting Lisbon’s Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande (L) vies with Arsenal’s Belgian midfielder Leandro Trossard during the UEFA Europa League round of 16, second-leg football match between Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates Stadium in London on March 16, 2023. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Is Diomande A Good Fit For Newcastle United?

Diomande is a tough-tackling defender who can read the danger well to secure the ball back for his team inside his half. He doesn’t mind clearing the danger when the opposition are on the offensive.

The Ivory Coast international can use his towering 1.90m frame to win his fair share of aerial duels. However, he is still quite inexperienced at the highest level and would need time to settle into life at St. James’ Park if the Magpies manage to win the race for him in the summer.

Diomande would bring more bite and steel to Newcastle‘s defensive department. He might even help the Tyneside club compete on all fronts in the future. At 20, he has the potential to become a success story at Newcastle in the long run.

Therefore, Diomande would be a great fit for the Tyneside club’s needs at the moment as they look to build a strong team ahead of the new campaign. However, Newcastle would have to be patient with his progress before they can unlock the best out of the youngster.