Ratcliffe eyes Man Utd move for £35m “monster” who could replicate Bruno

Manchester United’s squad will undergo drastic change this summer, ahead of a huge season in 2024/25. They ended the current campaign in the perfect way, triumphing in the FA Cup final, beating Manchester City in the end-of-season showpiece at Wembley Stadium 2-1, thanks to goals from academy stars Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.

However, despite silverware to end the term, the future of manager Erik ten Hag remains up in the air, following a poor season for the Red Devils overall. They finished eighth in the Premier League, which could see Ten Hag leave the club, with new owners INEOS currently conducting a post-season review. There is currently no time frame given for the review to finish.

It is not only Ten Hag who could leave at the end of the season. Many players could be sold in the summer, and some have already departed Old Trafford. Anthony Martial was a confirmed departure on a free transfer, after nine years of service at United. His fellow Frenchman, Raphael Varane, has also left the club following the expiration of his deal.

With that in mind, United need to replace their two exiting Frenchmen. They have already been linked with a Varane replacement and could look to do a deal this summer.

Man Utd target new centre-back

The player in question here is Sporting CP’s Ivorian centre-back Ousmane Diomande, who has been linked with several clubs this summer. The latest of those clubs is United, and they could try and secure his services swiftly to beat any other interested parties.

Indeed, this is according to a report from The Express journalist Charlie Gordon, who broke the story on Friday. According to the report, United are ‘considering a move’ for the 20-year-old, having met with his team earlier in the season, and are now continuing the relationship since INEOS’ takeover.

Gordon explains that United are not the only Premier League side who want to sign the defender. The Red Devils’ bitter Rivals Liverpool are keen on Diomande, as are Eddie Howe’s side Newcastle United, although their interest is thought to have “cooled” in the last few weeks.

United’s interest was piqued when Sporting slashed the price of the 20-year-old defender. He has a release clause in his contract worth £68m but Sporting would accept an offer of around £51m and even consider bids as low as £35m. They need to raise funds in the summer, which has led to United’s interest in the player.

Why Diomande would be a good signing

If Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co manage to get a deal for Diomande over the line this summer, he would be a signing for both the present and the future, given he is just 20 years of age. He has featured 26 times in the league for Sporting this season, as they won the title, and helped to keep ten clean sheets. He even managed to get himself on the scoresheet twice and grab an assist.

On the ball, the Ivorian is a wonderful progressive passer. As per FBref, he averages 5.15 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 9% of centre-backs across Europe. The 67.36 average passes he completes per 90 shows he is comfortable on the ball and ranks him in the top 5% of centre-backs.

Not only that, Diomande is a superb ball carrier. He averages 57.32 carries per 90, which places him in the top 4% of centre-backs. His comfort on the ball is very impressive and shows he would be a calming presence at the back for United.

Out of possession, Diomande is also a wonderful defender. The 20-year-old uses his impressive pace to his advantage and is excellent when defending wide areas. This is reflected in this 5.62 ball recoveries per 90 on average, which places him in the top 18%. Diomande is very dominant in the air, averaging a 72.3% win rate, placing him in the top 6% of centre-backs. He is a superb defender, especially in the wide areas.

In signing Diomande, who could “become a monster” according to football analyst Ben Mattinson, United will be hoping he can replicate the impact their last signing from Sporting has had. That man, of course, is Bruno Fernandes.

Whilst they play vastly different positions, Fernandes a creative genius in the final third and Diomande a fast, strong defender, he could elevate United’s side to the next level, as their captain did when he first joined the club.

The Portugal international has currently got 79 goals and 66 assists in 233 games for the Red Devils, but his first few months saw him bag 12 times and register eight assists in just 22 appearances in all competitions. United will undoubtedly hope Diomande can put up the defensive equivalent of those numbers.

United making signings from Sporting is a match made in heaven, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani also joining the Old Trafford club from Leões. Perhaps Diomande could be the next player in line to continue that dynasty, if he joins as part of the new Ratcliffe regime this summer.