Sporting Lisbon centre-back and Newcastle United target Ousmane Diomande has changed his agent, handing the Magpies a potential boost during the summer transfer window, according to Portuguese outlet Record.
The Ivory Coast international is now represented by ROOF, who are looking for proposals from the Premier League and Bundesliga for their client this summer.
Diomande has a £68 million release clause in his contract, but Sporting are prepared to sell him for £51m as his new agency is pushing for him to leave.
Newcastle want a new centre-back ahead of next season and have already been linked with an interest in Barcelona centre-back Andreas Christensen.
However, landing the Denmark international could prove difficult as he does not want to leave the La Liga giants, especially following the arrival of a new manager, and the Magpies may need to look elsewhere.
At 6ft 3in, Diomande is a defensive powerhouse capable of producing much-needed results at both ends of the pitch, and Newcastle could do with such a player alongside Dan Burn at the heart of their defence.
They are not the only Premier League club keen on the 20-year-old, with Chelsea and Arsenal also huge admirers of his qualities.
Diomande is very comfortable with playing out from the back and is also an excellent tackler, and Newcastle manager Eddie Howe admires such qualities in his defenders.
The Toons will have to be very convincing to pip stiff competition to the services of the Ivorian as they are not offering European football next term despite finishing the last Premier League campaign in seventh place.
They also need to balance the books and ensure they do not break the Profitability and Sustainability rules before they can spend £51m on a player, which could prove to be a daunting task, and going after other quality centre-backs with lesser fees could be advisable.
