Manchester City closely monitoring €80 million Sporting CP defender

Manchester City are keeping close tabs on Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande, after a series of impressive performances.

Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning squad is filled with former Liga Portugal talent, with current quartet Ederson, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and Matheus Nunes all linked to the country’s top-flight division.

Both Ederson and Dias moved to the Etihad Stadium from Benfica, meanwhile Silva also began his career in Portugal, prior to moving to AS Monaco in France ahead of a £43 million transfer to Manchester City.

Matheus Nunes, who signed for Manchester City from Wolves for £53 million on Deadline Day last month, initially moved to the Premier League from Sporting CP for a club-record £42.4 million deal in 2022.

Manchester City faced the Lisbon-based club during the UEFA Champions League last-16 in 2022, emphatically winning 5-0 at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Etihad scouts were recently in attendance at Sporting CP, with the Premier League club monitoring the developments of centre-back Ousmane Diomande, who has helped Sporting CP to the top of the Liga Portugal table.

Manchester City are currently refusing to let the 19-year-old defender ‘out of their sight’, according to an A Bola report relayed by Sport Witness.

The teenager has made 10 appearances for Sporting CP so far this season, including two starts in the UEFA Europa League Group Stages.

Diomande moved to Lisbon for €7.5 million in January, and has an €80 million release clause, amid close tracking from a series of major European clubs, including Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola added Josko Gvardiol to his first-team squad during the recent summer window, as Manchester City completed a £77.6 million deal to sign the Croatian centre-back, following weeks of negotiations.

The 21-year-old moved to the Premier League from RB Leipzig, and Gvardiol faced his former club earlier this month, when Manchester City beat the Bundesliga outfit 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League.