Another central defender? Chelsea is ready to buy Sporting player

Chelsea has reached out to Sporting regarding a potential transfer for defender Ousmane Diomande as they aim to bolster their central defense further in January.

According to The Standard, Chelsea has identified the 20-year-old player as one of their key transfer targets. Additionally, the team is contemplating the prospect of signing a new forward. The Blues have already made an offer for Diomande, but Sporting rejected it, stating they would only sell him if the £69 million buyout clause in his contract is met.

Despite having Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Axel Tuanzebe, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, and Thiago Silva in the squad, Chelsea seeks to add another young central defender. Chalobah is set to be put up for sale in January to assist in funding new acquisitions, Silva might depart as his contract expires this summer, and Fofana is sidelined due to a lengthy knee injury.

It's worth noting that Viktor Gyökeres, Sporting's forward, has also caught Chelsea's attention. In his debut season for the Portuguese side, the former Brighton and Coventry City player scored seventeen goals and provided eight assists in twenty matches. Sporting, once again, is reluctant to sell their star forward and insists that all interested parties must fully meet his £87 million release clause in the contract.