Crystal Palace are locked in talks to sell Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea as they scour the transfer market for potential reinforcements.
According to Football Insider, they are ready to pounce for Ousmane Diomande, who is a historical transfer target for the Eagles.
Pierre Sage’s first step in the transfer market will be to sign a central defender, which is expected to speed up if Lacroix ends up joining Chelsea.
And if reports from England are to be believed, this could finally be the summer when Diomande finally moves to Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace rekindle Ousmane Diomande pursuit
Over the years, Diomande has been heavily linked with a move to Palace, but a transfer hasn’t materialised so far.
And now, according to the aforementioned report, they are ready to pounce for the 22-year-old if they receive encouragement from the player and his club.
Sporting value him at around £69m, which is his release clause. However, it remains to be seen if they agree to lower their asking price if he pushes for a move.
At that price, Diomande would become the most expensive purchase in Crystal Palace history, so they need to think twice before pressing ahead with a transfer.
One thing to note is that the 22-year-old was eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup last night as Ivory Coast fell to a 2-1 defeat against Norway in the Round of 32, which could accelerate a potential transfer.
Diomande described as a ‘rapid’ player
Diomande featured 31 times for Sporting across all competitions and has plenty of experience under his belt for his age.
He has been described by Sporting manager Rui Borges as a ‘rapid’ defender who can develop into one of the finest players in his position.
“He is clearly a different central defender and he will make mistakes sometimes,” said Borges via The Analyst.
“It is part of his growth, as he is young. He will make mistakes; we have to understand that and support him, even though sometimes he makes mistakes and we have to call him out on it, and we will.
“But it is part of his growth, which has been rapid and he has reached a very high level very quickly. His qualities are superb; he is a central defender who will be talked about for years, I have no doubt.”
Crystal Palace have also been linked with a move for Charlie Cresswell, who is also wanted by Leeds United and Coventry City.
If Lacroix moves on, the Eagles have options, but they need to get it right as they already lost Marc Guehi in January without signing a replacement.
