Why Leicester City would be wise to rekindle interest in Amadou Diawara
A report by Leicester Mercury states that Leicester City were interested in AS Roma midfielder Amadou Diawara. Despite the interest, a move never happened, but he continues to be linked with the Foxes.
Now, LaRoma24.it (h/t Leicester Mercury) state that the Serie A club will consider a bid in the region of £16.5million for a midfielder they believe has failed to live up to the billing.
Profile
Born in July 1997 in Guinea, Amadou Diawara kicked-off his senior career with third-division Serie A side San Marino in 2014. He was immediately purchased the following season by Serie A club Bologna in 2015 after he impressed in the 2014/15 season.
Featuring for Bologna 34 times in the 2015/16 season, Napoli came calling and bought the Guinean. Diawara was utilised as a squad player in Naples, where he spent 3 years and made over 70 appearances.
He moved to another Serie A side, AS Roma, in 2019. The Guinean made 22 league appearances despite suffering from an injury, but has only started in one Serie A game this season. (h/t transfermarkt)
Diawara would be a great addition to the Leicester City midfield
Leicester City have no shortage of defensive midfielders. The Foxes have Wilfred Ndidi, Nampalys Mendy, Hamza Choudhury and Daniel Amartey all vying for game time at the club.
Nampalys Mendy has started the majority of the games after Wilfred Ndidi was sidelined with an injury. Choudhury and Amartey remain as backup, and Diawara would be an upgrade on them.
The Guinean midfielder has had the experience of playing in the midfield for top clubs such as AS Roma and Napoli. He has 109 senior Serie A appearances to his name. On top of that, he has 27 appearances in Europe.
Diawara is only 23 and has the majority of his best footballing years ahead of him. He is also a no-nonsense defensive midfielder with good agility and movement. His 2019/20 Serie A heatmap shows his versatility and intensity as he can cover every blade of grass in midfield.
It will be harsh to judge Diawara by his current statistics as he is just 23 years of age. However, it is impressive that he has been a regular starter in the Serie A since he turned 18.
The fact that teams like Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with him shows that he is highly rated amongst the football’s elites. Leicester have also only kept 3 clean sheets this season and have conceded 15 in the league.
Verdict
While Diawara is not a ‘must-sign’, he would be a welcome addition to Leicester City’s midfield. He can also put a stop to the goals the Foxes have been leaking at the back, and can be a great short-term, as well as a long-term signing.
In this day and age, the quoted £16.5million price tag also does not look bad for a top Premier League club like Leicester. A move for Diawara would certainly strengthen Leicester’s squad and can aid them in their quest for Europe this season.
