Why Leeds United should revisit their interest in Mbaye Diagne
Back in June during the summer window, Football League World (h/t Leeds Live) broke the news of Leeds United’s failed pursuit of Galatasaray striker Mbaye Diagne, who was also understood to be on the radar of Nottingham Forest.
The Whites had been linked with a move for the Senegalese hitman, who spent the previous campaign on loan at Club Brugge in Belgium, but Galatasaray eventually opted against selling the £4.5m-rated player.
Profile
Born in Dakar, Senegal, Mbaye Diagne started his career with A.C Bra in the Italian fourth-tier, where he scored 23 goals in 29 games. His prolific form in the lower divisions paved the way for a switch to Juventus in 2013 but Diagne never made a first-team appearance for the Bianconeri.
The 28-year-old spent time on loan at Ajaccio in France, Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia, Lierse and Westerlo in Belgium, and Ujpest in Hungary before joining Chinese Super League club Tianjin TEDA in 2016. Diagne returned to Europe with Turkish club Kasimpasa in 2018 after scoring 15 goals in 45 appearances for Tianjin.
Diagne racked up astonishing returns of 32 goals in 34 top-flight appearances for Kasimpasa, prompting heavyweights Galatasaray to snap him up in January 2019. The Senegalese international scored 11 times in 17 appearances for Galatasaray during the second half of the 2018-19 campaign before being shipped out on loan to Club Brugge, where he found the net 4 times in 9 appearances last term.
Diagne would add more depth to Leeds’ attack
Patrick Bamford has hit the ground running in the Premier League after playing a key role in Leeds United’s Championship triumph last season. The former Chelsea man has already scored thrice in five league appearances so far, with Marcelo Bielsa continuing to show trust in him as the undisputed first-choice No.9.
Rodrigo Moreno has been used in a slightly withdrawn No.10 role behind Bamford so far and it will be interesting to see how Bielsa tries to get the best out of the Spaniard in the coming months. Using him as an out-and-out striker remains an option for the manager but that could relegate Bamford to bench duty, which doesn’t look likely.
Regardless of that, however, it is worth pointing out that Leeds currently lack enough depth in their striking ranks beyond Rodrigo and Bamford. A potential injury to either of those two players would leave Bielsa seriously short of cover in front of goal. Plus, Bamford has a habit of tailing off midway through the campaign, thus epitomising the need for more competition in that department.
To put things into perspective, Leeds United should make a renewed attempt to sign Mbaye Diagne when the transfer window reopens in January. The Senegalese star has gobbled up goals for fun in the Turkish top-flight and definitely deserves a shot at proving his credentials in the Premier League.
Standing at 6ft 4in with a towering frame, Diagne would not only add more depth to Leeds’ striking ranks but also offer Bielsa with something different in front of goal. The Whites currently lack an effective focal point in their attack and that is exactly where the Senegalese could be a huge asset.
As evident from his heat map in 2018-19, Diagne is a very hardworking striker who likes to drop deep in the midfield to contribute to the build-up play. Taller than both Bamford and Rodrigo, the Senegalese would also add more aerial threat to Leeds’ attack.
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Verdict
Mbaye Diagne has certainly inspired a lot of confidence with his goalscoring exploits in Turkey and working under a charismatic manager like Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road could well get the best out of him in the Premier League. He still has his best years ahead of him and he would be a real coup for the Whites in January if he is still available at the touted price of £4.5million.
