Chelsea make enquiry about €80m defender to finally solve centre-back issue

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Signing a centre-back is believed to be a priority for Chelsea this summer after struggling defensively last season.

Central defence was a real problem, with the Blues unable to find a reliable and consistent centre-half partnership.

They will now look to address that by bringing a new centre-half to Stamford Bridge ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Who do you want to see Chelsea sign for each of these positions? 👀

These are the FOUR areas the club have identified for this summer…

• Goalkeeper
• Central defender
• Central midfielder
• Left winger

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Chelsea make enquiry about signing Sporting’s Ousmane Diomande

One central defender who appears to be on Chelsea’s shortlist is Sporting’s Ousmane Diomande.

According to Top Mercato, Chelsea are one of a few clubs who have enquired about signing Diomande this summer.

The 22-year-old has an €80m (£69m) release clause in his contract, but the same outlet claims that Sporting would be willing to let him go for half of that. It means Chelsea could end up getting a very good deal.

It is a signing that new manager Xabi Alonso would likely approve. It has already been reported that Alonso has told Chelsea to sign Diomande.

The Ivorian arriving at Stamford Bridge should pave the way for several of Chelsea’s current centre-back options to leave west London.

The likes of Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo did not get too many starting opportunities last season, and their situations will only get worse once another centre-half joins the club.

Ousmane Diomande’s defensive numbers last season

Diomande missed a lot of games in the 2025/26 season due to injury and the Ivory Coast’s participation at the Africa Cup of Nations.

In total, he made just 17 appearances in the Portuguese league. According to WhoScored, on average, Diomande made 0.6 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game, which is quite low.

However, he did win 2.1 aerial duels per game, which was the highest average in Sporting’s squad.

Diomande is not exactly a world-class centre-back yet, but he is young and has potential. The Ivory Coast international would probably be an upgrade on Badiashile and Adarabioyo and is not really a risk at £34m.