Manchester United are running out of time to secure Ruben Amorim a reunion with Ousmane Diomande as Real Madrid are the latest side to enter the race for the Sporting CP defender, according to a report.
Amorim swapped Lisbon for Manchester last November to replace Erik ten Hag after being selected by INEOS to lead their revolution at Old Trafford.
United were 14th in the table at the point that Ten Hag was dismissed without having won a match in the Europa League. And Amorim quickly realised the enormous task on his hands after landing at the Theatre of Dreams where he was confronted by a squad ill-suited to the physical demands of Premier League football.
But things did not improve with the transition from a Dutch coach to a Portuguese one as a disastrous season unfolded with Amorim at the helm.
United finished 15th in the table in their worst campaign in the Premier League era. They suffered early exits from the Carabao Cup and FA Cup while the dismal year reached a painful nadir in the Europa League final loss to Tottenham Hotspur.
The Need for Physicality
Despite the dramatic underperformance by his new side, Amorim retains the full support of the United hierarchy with the firm intention to back the 40-year-old coach in the transfer market this summer.
Amorim has reinforced the need for more pace and power from new recruits as he seeks to raise the physical floor of his squad.
Under Ten Hag and previous managers, United have consistently targeted players without the requisite physicality to thrive in the rigours of English football.
Signings like Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Antony, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Sofyan Amrabat, and Jadon Sancho, to name but a few in recent years, lack the strength, speed, or size (or all three) to allow their talents to succeed in England.
United are intent on fixing this problem moving forward with targets like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo possessing the physicality and pedigree to succeed in the Premier League.
But one player who the club could transform the spine of their team with is Amorim’s former pupil at Sporting, defensive anchor Diomande.
Manchester or Madrid?
Diomande, 21, is a powerful centre-back who thrived at the heart of Amorim’s back-three in Lisbon.
He possesses speed and strength in abundance and is aerially dominant. Yet he retains the technical ability to play out from the back with the central centre-back (CCB) in Amorim’s system often stepping up into midfield to help progress the ball from deeper.
If United wanted to target a player who would significantly raise the athletic floor of their squad, Diomande is the perfect option.
But the Red Devils’ budget is limited this summer without the prospect of European football next season. The bulk will be directed towards the forward line with both Cunha and Mbeumo expected to cost in excess of £60 million, while a new number nine is also on the agenda.
United are reported to still be keeping tabs on the Ivory Coast international but a new centre-back – a position of relative strength in the United squad at present – will not feature highly in the club’s mind, despite his experience in Amorim’s system and suitability to English football.
This hesitancy has allowed two Premier League teams, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United, to pull ahead of United in the race for Diomande with both making advances to sign the 21-year-old.
However, TEAMtalk reports Real Madrid have now entered the fray for Diomande with new head coach Xabi Alonso believed to be a “keen admirer” of the defender.
“The race to sign Sporting CP star Ousmane Diomande is hotting up, with European heavyweights Real Madrid now firmly in the frame alongside Premier League duo Newcastle United and Chelsea.
“TEAMtalk understands that Los Blancos have been keeping close tabs on the highly-rated centre-back, with manager Xabi Alonso a keen admirer of Diomande’s defensive strength and ability to read the game.”
But United have already beaten Madrid to the punch for a talented young centre-half after their capture of Leny Yoro from LOSC Lille last year. INEOS will need to act quickly and decisively to repeat the trick this summer if Amorim decides he wants to reunite with Diomande at Old Trafford.
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
