Che Adams is excited to play alongside new £13.6 million midfielder Ibrahima Diallo at Southampton this season, as he told Hampshire Live.
Considering that the former Brest star has been labelled the ‘new N’Golo Kante’ by some, you can imagine what he will offer to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.
But Diallo has more than just a ball-winning string to his bow.
The France U21 international is also an intelligent, progressive distributor. And he has to be if he wants to thrive in a Southampton team at their best when cutting through opposition defences with rapid, flowing counter-attacks.
21-year-old Diallo made a brief cameo in Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Chelsea and could be handed his first start in Sunday’s home clash with in-form Everton.
“He’s been very good actually. He has nice close control and a variety of passing,” said Adams; a man who arrived at St Mary’s a year before Diallo put pen to paper.
“It’s going to be exciting to see what he can bring to the team and hopefully we can really get the best out of him.”
Diallo was just one of many hard-working midfield enforcers Southampton had identified as a potential replacement for departed captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
But, considering the Saints missed out on Weston McKennie and Ibrahim Sangare before turning their attention to the Ligue 1 starlet, it is safe to assume the Frenchman was not their first choice.
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