Chelsea Extensively Scout Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande as Potential Thiago Silva Replacement

Chelsea has extensively scouted Sporting Lisbon centre-back Ousmane Diomande and have made contact with his representatives in recent transfer windows, according to reports.

As the Blues aim to strengthen several areas of their squad this summer, they are particularly focused on finding a replacement for the departing Thiago Silva.

New head coach Enzo Maresca is set to benefit from these reinforcements as he prepares for his first season at Stamford Bridge.

The club is reportedly targeting upgrades at goalkeeper, left back, centre back, and striker. Chelsea’s first summer signing is expected to be centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, who is joining on a free transfer from Fulham after undergoing a medical on Tuesday.

Adarabioyo’s arrival is intended to fill the gap left by Silva’s departure, but additional defensive signings are being considered.

The pursuit of a second centre-back depends on the future of Trevoh Chalobah. Should the 24-year-old leave, Chelsea will seek a replacement. The club has been linked with Lille’s Leny Yoro, Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah, and Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano.

However, according to Football London, Chelsea has conducted extensive scouting on Sporting Lisbon’s Diomande. The 20-year-old Ivorian is known for his ball-playing abilities, fitting the profile Maresca is looking for. Diomande has a release clause of £68 million, but it is believed that this amount could be negotiated down.

At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea have shown strong interest in RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who has a release clause of £55 million. The club is seeking a striker to complement Nicolas Jackson as they prepare for another busy transfer window.