United ready to pay €60m to sign 21-yo star, Amorim pushing for his signing – report

Manchester United are prepared to make a move for Ousmane Diomande following “request” from Ruben Amorim, as per reports.

United’s frontline has received plenty of backlash in recent times, with many blaming the club’s out-of-form forwards for the side’s inconsistent results.

Marcus Rashford, who has one foot out the door at Old Trafford, Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, and Joshua Zirkzee have all come under scrutiny for their lacklustre showings this season.

Under Amorim, the Red Devils have looked more composed out of possession but their defence has still managed to leak plenty of goals. Over the weekend, Brighton and Hove Albion became the latest side to arrive at United’s home turf and enjoy a lot of success in the final third, scoring three goals and taking all three points in their 3-1 win.

The Mancunians clearly need to address their defensive concerns as well and it seems they are exploring the market to find a new central defender.

According to Fichajes, Amorim has requested the club’s hierarchy to sign Diomande from Sporting Lisbon.

The Portuguese head coach is aware of the Ivorian centre-back’s potential, having handed him a breakthrough in Lisbon. The 21-year-old was one of his most reliable players at the club.

Known for his immense physicality and impressive positional awareness, the towering defender would add plenty of steel and composure to United’s shaky backline. However, he is unlikely to come cheap.

The Spanish outlet claim the “operation” to reunite Diomande with Amorim is expected to be worth €60 million.

They suggest the Premier League giants are “preparing” to spend that figure on signing the player, who is tied to Sporting until the summer of 2027. Amorim is understood to be playing a decisive role in this pursuit.

Should he arrive, the right-footed defender is likely to challenge Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire for the central centre-back role or the young Leny Yoro for the right-sided centre-back position.

However, recently, Lisandro Martinez has appeared as the side’s most vulnerable cog in defence. Accordingly, United’s recruitment team would be wise to search for a left-footed defender.