Chelsea are enduring another dreadful campaign this season, as after 17 Premier League games, they find themselves down in tenth place and nowhere near their pre-season goal of qualifying for the Champions League.It has been a trial by fire for Mauricio Pochettino this year, and as things stand, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager is not passing. His side seem incapable of scoring goals and equally unable to stop opponents scoring against them.The side have conceded 26 league goals so far, with only Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United letting in more above them, so it's good news that the latest player touted for a move to west London is an exciting young centre-back who could replace Axel Disasi and help stop the rot in the Blues' backline.
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ByJack Salveson HolmesDec 19, 2023 Chelsea transfer news – Ousmane Diomande
According to reports from Portugal (via Sport Witness), Chelsea are interested in Sporting CP's exciting young centre-back Ousmane Diomande and have already sent scouts to watch him in action this week.The report has also revealed that, alongside the Pensioners, Arsenal are said to be interested in the 20-year-old, which could be an issue for the Blues considering the attractiveness of the Gunners' project this season.
However, the other, perhaps more significant barrier to Chelsea completing this deal is the price. According to the report, Sporting do not want to sell one of their best young players mid-way through the season, so if Todd Boehly and Co want to get this deal done, they will have to pay his €80m (£69m) release clause.It would be an undeniably hefty investment in the potential of Diomande, but with football talent scout Jacek Kulig describing the Ivorian as an "elite talent", it might prove to be worth it in the long run.
Chelsea could replace Axel Disasi with Ousmane Diomande
If Chelsea were to spend that much on signing a new defender, it would almost certainly be with the view that he became an instant starter in the side, and to do that, he would have to replace one of the current crop who are starting most of the Blues' games.Thiago Silva is one of the few players who can hold his head high at Stamford Bridge, so it wouldn't be him, and the only other regular starter has been summer signing Axel Disasi, who has started 88% of the team's Premier League games this season.The Frenchman has looked uncomfortable in the league from the get-go, with talkSPORT pundit Andy Jacobs labeling him a "disaster" following the Pensioners' loss to West Ham in August.
His own club don't seem to back him either, as TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that Chelsea are already willing to cut their losses and sell the 25-year-old to recuperate funds, allowing them to sign a player like Diomande.However, how does the "immense talent", as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, stack up to the far more experienced French defender? Well, rather unsurprisingly, given how this season has gone, the youngster looks far more impressive in almost every critical metric.
Stats (per 90)
Diomande
Disasi
Progressive Carries
1.12
1.09
Progressive Passes
5.22
4.29
Shots on Target
0.22
0.14
Passing Accuracy
90.4
90.4
Shot-Creating Actions
1.56
0.54
Tackles Won
1.04
0.41
Tackles + Interceptions
2.01
1.56
Ball Recoveries
5.90
5.51
Aerial Duel Win Rate
73.0%
71.4%
All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season
The 20-year-old is a much more prominent force in his side's attacks while simultaneously producing more impressive defensive numbers, such as his 5.90 ball recoveries and 1.04 tackles won per 90.Ultimately, Chelsea should be looking to sign Diomande, and while he hasn't really had the time to settle in, move on from Disasi as he simply isn't good enough.