Ousmane Diomande: Position, transfer fee, style of play, stats & more

Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande continues to be linked with a move away from Portugal, with Crystal Palace rumoured with a move.

The Ivorian has been named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year for each of the last two seasons, catching the attention of potential suitors from across Europe.

Here is everything you need to know about the Sporting centre-back.

Ousmane Diomande age, nationality & background

Born on 4th December 2003, Diomande is 21 years old.

Born in Abidjan in the Ivory Coast, Diomande began his career with OS Abobo before moving to Danish club Midtjylland in January 2020, shortly after his 16th birthday.

Diomande moved on loan to Portuguese side Mafra, impressing so much so that his loan spell was cut short with Sporting signing the defender for up to €12.5m.

Ousmane Diomande transfer fee and contract

Diomande had an €80m buyout clause inserted into his Sporting CP contract, but it's expected he'll be able to leave for just over half of that at around £40m.

Diomande has two years left on his contract where he earns €30,000 a week according to Capology, but could expect to double that if he moved to the Premier League.

Ousmane Diomande transfer rumours

Diomande was linked with a number of top Premier League clubs 18 months ago including Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle and Chelsea, though his valuation will have certainly increased since then.

With Marc Guehi expected to leave Selhurst Park in the summer, the Eagles will look for defensive reinforcements, and Crystal Palace are strongly linked with the centre-back.

However if the likes of Newcastle and Tottenham miss out on Guehi, they may enter the market for Diomande, who's a proven UEFA Champions League-quality player, and might have loftier ambitions than Crystal Palace.

What to expect from Ousmane Diomande

Diomande was deployed as the central centre-back in Ruben Amorim's back three before his move to Manchester United, though Diomande remained there under Rui Borges who maintained a three-at-the-back system.

As part of Amorim's system, Diomande was expected to step up beyond the defensive line to better contribute in build-up phases. As such, the Ivorian is extremely comfortable on the ball and would have no issues adapting to Oliver Glasner's back three.

Diomande is quick and strong, so could be asked to defend the channels as a wide centre-back, but has most commonly been used centrally in Portugal. Diomande is technically proficient with the ball at his feet and is outstanding aerially, and should have no difficulties adapting to the Premier League.

Height and build

Diomande is 6ft 2in and of lean build.

Preferred foot

Diomande is right-footed but can play with his left.

Style of play

It's hard to pigeonhole Diomande into one prototype of defender.

While he's physically strong and aerially dominant, making him ideal for a team who likes to defend deeper, he's also quick enough to play in a higher line and is extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet.

Diomande is an solid passer who's comfortable carrying the ball out of defence and would be a huge asset to any Premier League club.

Metric	Total (Per 90)	Rank
Medium range passes completed	45.9	Top 1%
Long range pass completion	76.1%	Top 2%
Pass completion	93.5%	Top 1%
% of dribblers tackled	79.3%	Top 7%
Progressive carrying distance	162.6	Top 4%
% of aerials won	67.2%	Top 18%

(Source: FBref.com based on comparison to positional peers in Men's Next 14 competitions in last 365 days).

Career so far

Previous clubs

Diomande's youth career began at Olympic Sport Abobo before moving to Denmark with Midtjylland as a 16-year-old.

Eighteen months later, Diomande was loaned to Portuguese second-tier side Mafra, where he imprssed so much he only lasted half a season before being snapped up by Sporting CP in January 2023.

Diomande quickly established himself in Sporting's defence, making 13 appearances out of a possible 17 before being first-choice alongside Goncalo Inacio and Sebastian Coates the following season.

International caps

Diomande has eight international caps to his name and was part of the successful Ivory Coast squad that won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

What could Diomande bring to your club?

A physically strong, ball-playing defender, Diomande looks like he'd be an ideal fit for a variety of systems.

He's excelled as part of a back three at Sporting and is perhaps most comfortable in that role, but his pace, strength, aerial prowess and ball-playing ability would make him a versatile centre-back to a number of clubs.