Brest midfielder Ibrahima Diallo on the field
According to claims from L’Equipe (h/t Leicestershire Live), Southampton are poised to make an offer for French U-21 midfielder Ibrahima Diallo, who currently plies his trade with Ligue 1 outfit Stade Brestois 29.
Leicester City have followed up their initial interest in the midfielder dating back to January and are also weighing up a bid for the 21-year-old, who has three years left to run on his current deal at Brest. (Le Telegramme via Get French Football News h/t Leicestershire Live)
As per the report, the French club’s sporting director confirmed earlier in the summer that Diallo would be allowed to leave if the right offer is put up on the table.
Born in France to parents of Senegalese descent, Ibrahima Diallo spent time in the youth ranks of lower division clubs Angouleme, Tours, and Chambray-le-Tours before completing his development at Monaco. He made 14 appearances for Monaco’s reserve side before joining Brest on loan in Ligue 2.
The 21-year-old made 23 league appearances during the course of the 2018-19 season as Stade Brestois secured promotion to the top-flight. Diallo completed a permanent move following a successful loan stint and went on to feature 19 times in Ligue 1 in the previous campaign, playing a key role in ensuring survival for the newly-promoted outfit.
He has started each of Brest’s first five games in Ligue 1 this term, with his impressive displays putting Premier League clubs on red alert. Diallo has represented France across various age-groups between U-18 and U-21, although he remains eligible to switch his allegiance to Senegal at the senior level.
Looking at how Southampton have lined up in their first few games in all competitions this season so far, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to point out that the Saints are short of cover in the middle of the park. Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has gone in with Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse as his central midfield pairing in each of those fixtures.
The reason behind that isn’t difficult to figure out. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s departure to Tottenham earlier in the summer has left the Saints with very little cover beyond Romeu to complement captain Ward-Prowse in the middle. Will Smallbone has shown a lot of promise but he’s still too young to play week in, week out, in the Premier League.
Hence, a potential injury to either Romeu or Ward-Prowse would leave Hasenhuttl with a massive void to cover up in a key area of the pitch. Also, with Southampton set to participate in the FA Cup later on in the campaign, it goes without saying that the manager needs more depth in his midfield options to ensure effective rotation.
Ibrahima Diallo, to that end, ticks the box as a promising young midfielder with plenty of untapped potential. The 21-year-old has already started to make waves with his dominant displays in Ligue 1 and certainly looks good enough to challenge for a place in Southampton’s midfield.
Hasenhuttl has looked inclined to pair Ward-Prowse with a defensive-minded midfielder like Romeu. Diallo, who is also a defensive midfielder by trade, would provide more cover in that department.
The Saints have snapped up some exciting young players like Che Adams, Moussa Djenepo, Mohammed Salisu, and Kyle Walker-Peters in the transfer window since the appointment of Hasenhuttl at the helm of affairs.
Indeed, the Austrian has an excellent track record of promoting young talent and Southampton beating off competition for Ibrahima Diallo would represent a continuation of a similar policy in the market.
Still only 21, Diallo won’t really be a readymade replacement for Hojbjerg in the middle of the park. However, his potential has been there for everyone to see. Southampton should go all out in their pursuit of the French starlet with one eye on the future.