Ousmane Diomande makes big move that opens door to Liverpool talks

Ousmane Diomande - a name linked with Liverpool - has made a big career move that opens the door for talks with the Reds.

Liverpool have been consistently linked with Ousmane Diomande in 2024. The peak was certainly back when Ruben Amorim was the favourite to become the Reds' new manager, however.

Back then, there was talk that Diomande and his Sporting teammate Goncalo Inacio were both on the agenda at Anfield. Arne Slot taking over halted that talk quite a bit - but perhaps it's about to come back around.

Diomande has just switched agencies, says Record. He's now with ROOF, one of the biggest agencies in football, and one who boasts Virgil van Dijk as their star client.

Liverpool will be in talks with ROOF this summer, as a matter of fact, given Van Dijk is now in the final year of his contract. The Reds will hope to strike a deal on a new one - and that opens the door a little to Diomande.

Liverpool can discuss Diomande

Diomande won't come cheap this summer. He has a release clause of around £67m and every suggestion is that Sporting will want it in full if they're to sell.

The interest in him - from Liverpool and several other top Premier League sides - almost guarantees they'll get that clause, too.

But Liverpool might just have a reason to pay it. They're in the market for a centre-back after Joel Matip's exit and Diomande is one of the best options around.

He's young enough to be a truly long-term option, but also has the experience of a starter who just won a league title. Diomande ticks both primary boxes for Liverpool, then, who need a partner for Van Dijk as much as they need a successor.

Now, it could well be that Liverpool have other options in mind and that nothing comes of it. But they will have a great opportunity for talks this summer thanks to the shared agents. That opens the door here and it'll be interesting to see if the Reds take advantage.