Ousmane Diomande targeted by Manchester United and fellow Premier League sides

Manchester United are once more looking to Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande in their plans to strengthen their back line at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils were first linked to the centre-back as one of many Sporting targets who were rumoured to be following Ruben Amorim to the Theatre of Dreams.

However, the move never materialised and instead, Portuguese outlet Record, as relayed by Sports Witness, has now reported that Crystal Palace came close to signing him last summer.

The report explains though that while Palace are not yet back in the race for him despite losing Marc Guehi to Manchester City in January, other Premier League sides are interested.

Premier League interest in Ousmane Diomande

United are joined by Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle United in looking to the 22-year-old, with many set to have scouts at the Emirates for their Champions League clash with Arsenal.

The Red Devils’ interest however comes at a timely point as the club are experiencing serious issues in defence.

Matthijs de Ligt has been out since November 2025 with a long-term, unpredictable back injury, making Michael Carrick unable to confirm a return date.

Alongside him, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez have taken it in turns visiting the Carrington treatment room and being suspended, leaving Leny Yoro as the only consistently available senior centre-back.

As such, with Champions League football on the cards for next season, United need to increase their depth in the position, hence the interest in Ousmane Diomande.

However, with the centre-back having signed a new contract with the Lisbon-based side in the summer, lasting until 2030 United have another barrier.

While they could pay his £69 million to trigger his release clause, they are still looking at recruiting one or two midfielders this summer to replace the outgoing Casmeiro and unwanted Manuel Ugarte.

As such, United need to be careful with the recruitment to ensure they get the depth they need across the pitch without breaking the bank.