Man United manager Ruben Amorim has personally spoken to £67m defender who Chelsea reportedly want

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Manchester United could have an advantage over Chelsea in the race for one defender thanks to Ruben Amorim.

Chelsea already have Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo and Axel Disasi, who can all play in central defence.

Badiashile really impressed against Leicester City, with the 23-year-old having to come into the side due to Reece James and Malo Gusto’s unavailability.

Nevertheless, it looks like Chelsea could still sign another centre-back, though one reported target could end up joining United instead.

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Chelsea and Man United keen on Ousmane Diomande

Chelsea have been linked with Ousmane Diomande in the past, and speculation about him potentially joining the Blues has emerged again.

Back in June, it was reported that Chelsea were interested in Diomande but his price tag was a bit of a problem.

According to CaughtOffside, that interest is still there, but United also want the 20-year-old and Amorim has already had some contact with his former player.

Regarding how much he could cost, the same report states that he has a €80m (£66.8m) release clause in his contract.

How does Ousmane Diomande compare to Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana?

Colwill and Fofana have been Chelsea’s first-choice centre-back pairing this season, so Diomande would be coming in to compete against the duo if he does go on to join Enzo Maresca‘s side.

In the current campaign, the three central defenders have made roughly the same number of tackles, but Colwill and Fofana are blocking more shots than Diomande.

However, the two Chelsea stars have played more games than the Ivory Coast international.

Ultimately, it is hard to argue that Diomande would be an instant upgrade on Colwill and Fofana. However, he is young and has a lot of potential.

The Sporting man could be worth targeting if Chelsea need another centre-half, but that does not look to be the case. Unless someone leaves, the Blues probably do not need to sign Diomande or any other centre-back.