Newcastle made ‘report’ about defender at the weekend – Magpies trying to beat Arsenal and Chelsea to signing

After initial reports from English media suggested that Newcastle United had scouts monitoring Ousmane Diomande over the weekend, Portuguese sources are now corroborating the news. According to the newspaper Record, the Magpies did, in fact, send a representative to observe the player during the Lisbon derby between Benfica and Sporting on Sunday.

Record further reports that Arsenal and Chelsea are also regular spectators of Diomande’s performances, with Newcastle now entering the competition after conducting a detailed assessment of his gameplay. Despite interest from Italy and Germany, the Premier League is considered the ‘most likely’ destination for the player.

Despite having a substantial release clause of €80m, Record suggests that there is room for negotiation, especially given Transfermarkt’s valuation of him at €35m. Newcastle may find a favorable margin for negotiation, provided that Arsenal and Chelsea do not escalate the situation into a bidding war.