Arsenal have told Sporting Lisbon they will return with an offer to sign defender Ousmane Diomande next year after seeing a €35million (£30m) rejected this summer.
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The 19-year-old centre-half joined Sporting from Danish side Midtjylland in January in a deal worth €7.5million, having impressed in Portugal during a loan spell at Mafra in the first-half of the season.
Mikel Arteta has been an admirer since he made that switch with Arsenal approaching his club during the summer transfer window.
Record report the Gunners offered Sporting the chance to make a swift and sizeable profit on the Ivory Coast international with a €35m offer which was quickly rejected.
While Arsenal ended their interest for the time being, the report adds they fully intend to return with another offer next summer.
Diomande, who has an €80m release clause, quickly became a regular in the Sporting defence following his arrival at the start of the year, making his European debut against the Gunners in the Europa League.
He made his senior debut for Ivory Coast on Saturday in the 1-0 victory over Lesotho.
Arsenal reinforced their defensive options this summer with the signing of Jurrien Timber, who arrived from Ajax in a £40m deal.
The Netherlands international suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his debut against Nottingham Forest however and could possibly be ruled out for the rest of the season.
‘It’s a big blow because we recruited him with clear intentions and what he was bringing to the team was evident, and he’s not going to be in this season for us,’ Arteta said.
‘We have to adapt, these things happen unfortunately, and we have to move on.
‘Jurrien been very good, to be honest, he’s a special character, he knows, and I think he’s started to realise the extent of the injury and the amount of time that he’s going to be out, but he’s in a good place.
‘We are all willing to him help and we are all very close to him, but it’s going to be a long journey.’
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