Chelsea suffered a shock 3-1 loss at the hands of Flamengo at the FIFA Club World Cup. This defeat has once again highlighted the need for the Blues to bring in a reliable centre-back ahead of next season, especially with their return to the Champions League. Levi Colwill is expected to be a starter but who will partner him?
Chelsea have previously been linked with a number of potential candidates for the centre-back position, including Marc Guehi, Illia Zabarnyi and Jarrad Branthwaite. However, recently there have been no major developments regarding the signing of any of these players, although they still remain on the club’s radar.
With the summer transfer window now open, Chelsea have continued their search for a reliable option at the back, and it looks like the club has identified another youngster who could be perfect for the role. The bad news is, there is a lot of interest in his signature.
As reported by TEAMtalk, Real Madrid are now firmly in the frame alongside Newcastle United and Chelsea in the race to sign Ousmane Diomande. Enzo Maresca is believed to be a huge fan. Meanwhile, Sporting CP have stood firm on the defender's €80 million release clause. The Blues are exploring ways to structure a deal with performance-based bonuses that could lower that figure.
Real Madrid join race to sign Chelsea centre-back target Diomande
Diomande made 46 appearances for the Liga Portugal champions in the 24/25 season, playing a key role in their first domestic double in over 20 years. At 21 years of age, he has established himself as one of the most highly-rated centre-backs in world football.
These kinds of performances are hard to go unnoticed and certainly haven't. In addition to Chelsea, clubs like Real Madrid and Newcastle United are also said to be interested in the player. Arsenal have been linked with him as well.
Having recently lost the race to sign Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Chelsea cannot afford to let it happen a second time. Especially as it looks like Liverpool are making progress in on a move for Guehi.