Neil Jones has said that Liverpool would be taking a ‘gamble’ if they were to sign one of their most prominent reported January transfer targets.
The Reds have been strongly linked with a possible move for Ousmane Diomande this month and are understood to be ‘keeping tabs’ on the Sporting CP defender (David Lynch).
The 20-year-old is rated so highly in Portugal that one observer is quoted as saying that the Lisbon club could ‘make at least £100m’ from selling him.
However, speaking to EOTK Insider, Jones outline why he feels Liverpool would be rolling the dice if they were to sign the precocious centre-back.
The journalist stated: “Ousmane Diomande has very minimal experience with 28 games in the league for Sporting – it’s a very small sample size for a centre-back! Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip – even someone like Ozan Kabak – all had a lot more when they signed.
“It would be a gamble for Liverpool to go and spend money on him. That said, he does look, from the reports you read and the trajectory of his career, a potentially intriguing option. Ultimately, though, it does come down to whether it’s the right deal for Liverpool, whether he’s the right fit and the age profile.”
Jones’ reservations about a big-money move for Diomande are understandable, with the journalist justifiably pointing to the 20-year-old’s inexperience at a high level and potentially wary of the fee that Sporting might demand in order to sell him.
However, we’ve seen in recent years that Liverpool are prepared to spend big on players if the Anfield powerbrokers are fully convinced that such deals would have a transformative long-term effect on Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
The age of the Ivory Coast international could entitle his current club to hold out for a substantial transfer offer, but that must be weighed up against the vast potential that he boasts and the possibility of him repaying that outlay over a prolonged period.
Virgil van Dijk (£75m) and Alisson Becker (£67m) certainly didn’t come cheap, but any debate about whether they’ve lived up to their respective price tags has long since been dispelled.
Ultimately, it’ll come down to whether Liverpool chiefs feel that Diomande would be a game-changer in Klopp’s side. If the answer is yes, don’t be surprised if they push the boat out to get him sometime this year.
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