Ibrahima Diallo is loving life at Brest, but the reported Arsenal target has admitted that he would consider offers to leave the Ligue 1 outfit this summer, while speaking to Le Telegramme.
With Arsenal’s desire to sign Thomas Partey looking more and more like a pipe dream, a Gunners side operating on a limited budget have little choice but to scour the market for cheap alternatives to the Atletico Madrid powerhouse.
And Diallo would be exactly that.
According to the Daily Star in May, the 21-year-old Frenchman is valued at £20 million; less than half the fee Atletico would demand for Partey.
What’s more, an all-action scrapper likened to N’Golo Kante would jump at the chance to follow in Patrick Vieira’s footsteps in North London.
Diallo is at pains to point out that he will not be going on strike or typing out a transfer request any time soon but, if an offer arrives, it will be considered.
“As the sporting director (Gregory Lorenzi) said, if an offer comes in, the club will examine it and I will examine it, and we will discuss (a move away). But, for the moment, I’m happy to be in Brest,” the France U20 international says.
“It doesn’t change my state of mind. I never said to myself; ‘It’s this summer that I’m leaving’! It’s not like I absolutely want to leave!
“(But), at my age, it would be silly to say that I can’t aim higher. Without disrespecting the club, I want to go higher.”
While Arsenal finished a distant eighth in England’s top flight, missing out on Champions League qualification yet again, a move to the Emirates would still represent a major step forward for Diallo.
It remains to be seen whether Leicester City renew their interest, having had a £14 million bid rejected in January (Onze Mondail).
As Diallo alluded to, sporting director Lorenzi has admitted that the midfielder would be allowed to go if an acceptable offer arrives.
“There is an agreement with Ibrahima Diallo,” Lorenzi told L’Equipe.
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