Manchester United could secure Liverpool 'target' for as little as £35m

Liverpool target Ousmane Diomande is reportedly being eyed by Manchester United to replace the outgoing Raphael Varane.

The race for the Premier League's best clubs to recruit a top, young centre-back is on and Diomande is one prospect who has been eyed by Liverpool, Man United and Chelsea across recent months. 

Starring for Sporting Lisbon, he started 25 of his 26 league games under Ruben Amorim last season as they won the title and he even managed two goals as well. He also started in seven of his nine Europa League appearances as they fell to eventual champions Atalanta in a close tie. 

And now, according to the Daily Mirror, United are considering a move for him to replace Varane and could be boosted by the fact the Portuguese club need to raise funds. Interest has said to have cooled in the Premier League and a fee of around £35m may be enough to secure a deal. When interest was higher, Sporting stuck to their guns regarding his £68m release clause. However, with interest dissipating, they are demanding £51m but could also accept a lower fee of £35m.  

Plus, United met with Diomande's representatives earlier this season and with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS group keen to make big moves this summer, it’s a deal they could snap up. For Liverpool, they still have four senior centre-backs at their disposal and the arrival of Arne slot will be interesting for pre-season as he ponders his options.

Joe Gomez, a natural centre-back, played just five times in that role, as he covered both full-back roles due to injuries across the majority of the season. That leaves senior duo Virgil van Dijk (who has a year left on his deal) and Ibrahima Konate. There’s also youngster Jarrell Quansah who will be looking to build on an excellent debut campaign which led to an England call-up.