Newcastle United have checked up on long-term target Ousmane Diomande once again - according to reports in Portugal.

Portuguese publication A Bola have published a list of scouts present for Sporting Lisbon's Taca da Liga - Portugal's League Cup - clash with Porto last week. And Newcastle were once again represented for the 1-0 victory over Sporting's bitter rivals.

As Chronicle Live reported last March the 6ft 3in Ivory Coast international would fit the bill for Newcastle as far as a right-sided centre-back was concerned. In the end, Newcastle signed Lloyd Kelly to fill that position, with the ex-Bournmeouth man able to do a job either side, but it is now emerging that Kelly might be available for a January move with interest from Turkey.

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Diomande still has a contract to run until 2027 with Sporting Lisbon and has been looked at by Chelsea and Arsenal. Manchester United also took a look at Diomande before the arrival of Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.

It is understood that Diomande has a £67million minimum release clause in his Sporting deal that allows him to leave if a bigger club comes in for him. Ideally Howe wants at least two top class centre-backs on either side of his central defensive unit.

With Sven Botman now back from a knee injury he will scrap it out with Dan Burn on the left-hand side for the rest of the season but at 21 Diomande is a long-term option for the club and can operate either side of defence. Fabian Schar is in discussions with Newcastle on a new deal as one of the right-sided stars available to Howe while Jamaal Lascelles is edging back to fitness after an ACL operation.

Lascelles' future is unclear with less than six months left on his current deal. The ex-Nottingham Forest star triggered a new deal last spring but is yet to make an appearance this term and could be back in March.