Roma advanced to the quarterfinals of the Italian Cup with a 2-1 victory over Cremonese on Wednesday, thanks to goals from Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala. Roma will face Lazio in a derby.

It appeared like the Serie B team might repeat its quarterfinal elimination of Roma from the previous season when Frank Tsadjout put Cremonese ahead late in the first half.

After coming on at halftime, Dybala assisted on Lukaku’s goal and then converted a penalty with five minutes remaining.

Lorenzo Pellegrini, captain for Roma, struck the crossbar in the middle of the first half.

Next week, Genoa will be eliminated by Lazio in the derby. Lazio will be playing in the derby.

Atalanta defeated Sassuolo 3-1 thanks to goals from Charles De Ketelaere, who also assisted on another goal, advancing them to a quarterfinal encounter against AC Milan.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United ‘interested in Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande’

Following his January 2023 transfer from Danish club Midtjylland to Portuguese powerhouse Sporting, the Ivory Coast international established himself as a staple in the Sporting lineup, making 38 appearances.

Diomande has started in fifteen matches for the Primeira Liga this year, and he and Goncalo Inacio have formed a solid relationship at center back.

With only two losses in fifteen league matches played so far this season, Ruben Amorim’s squad is riding high in Portugal’s first flight. They now hold the league lead.

According to Football Insider, Diomande is being heavily pursued by Arsenal, Newcastle, and Chelsea, despite his importance to a title-chasing Sporting side. A transfer away from Lisbon is not out of the question.

The Gunners, according to earlier reports this week, have reached out to Mikel Arteta’s family in regards to a possible January or summer transfer.

The North East club, which is aiming to improve its chances of securing European football for a consecutive season, reportedly spoke with Diomande’s representatives before the new year.

Despite ongoing transfer talks between the Gunners and the Magpies, the Ivorian center back is reportedly set to switch clubs at season’s end.

Sporting is requesting the fulfilment of Diomande’s £70 million release clause, and the issue between the two parties is mostly related to Financial Fair Play.

In contrast, Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea are hoping to reclaim European contention in the Premier League by luring the 20-year-old to Stamford Bridge this month.With 39-year-old Thiago Silva’s contract expiring in less than six months, the Blues are prioritizing the recruitment of a new central defender in 2024.

Another player connected to Pochettino’s squad is Viktor Gyokeres, a teammate of Diomande’s at Sporting who has scored eleven Primeira Liga goals since joining the club in the summer from Coventry City.

The article states that other teams in England and Europe will compete with the three clubs stated above to sign Diomande, but they do not specify which teams.

The teenage defender’s future has been the subject of much debate, but he is scheduled to start for Sporting on Friday night in their top league match against Estoril.