Bayern Munich heavily scouting Sporting CP defender
Bayern Munich have reportedly intensified their scouting of young defender from Sporting Lisbon ahead of the summer transfer window.
It is fair to say Bayern Munich are going to strengthen all three key outfield areas of the squad in the summer. The Bavarian club is planning a squad upheaval after a disastrous Bundesliga campaign. The defensive department will have new faces to replace a couple of players.
Bayern tried to improve their options in central defense during the winter transfer window. Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo was their top target, but the Uruguayan was not looking to leave midway through the season. They had an offer rejected for Genoa’s Radu Dragusin. The Romanian defender preferred a move to Tottenham Hotspur over Munich.
The Bavarian club went ahead with a stop-gap option by signing Eric Dier from Spurs on a six-month deal. The English defender has activated the clause in his contract that sees him stay in Munich by the end of next season. Dier has been playing regularly under Thomas Tuchel.
Despite Dier’s good form, Bayern will look to add a central defender to the squad in the summer. They will pursue a move for Araujo, but Die Roten are keeping tabs on other highly-rated young defenders in Europe. After showing interest in Benfica’s Antonio Silva, Bayern have also stepped up scouting for another defender in the Portuguese league.
According to Ojogo (via iMiaSanMia), Bayern have intensified their scouting of Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande. The 20-year-old center-back is one of the best young defenders in the Portuguese league.
Diomande has been a mainstay in Sporting’s defense this season. The 20-year-old defender is strong defensively when it comes to winning duels with forwards. He also boasts composure on the ball, helping Sporting in playing out from the back. Diomande was also part of Ivory Coast’s squad that won the AFCON in February.
The young Ivorian’s contract at Sporting expires in 2027. Die Roten will have to pay a considerable fee to get him, but he will be cheaper than Araujo. The Bavarian club will face competition from the Premier League for his signature as Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool are showing interest in him.
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Along with the new arrival, it will be interesting to see which central defender will end up leaving Die Roten in the summer. Matthijs de Ligt has ruled out a summer move, while Kim Min-jae arrived from Napoli last summer. Dayot Upamecano has endured a mixed campaign until now, but he was Tuchel’s first-choice defender until February. Nevertheless, major changes are going to happen as Bayern continue to falter on the pitch.