LIVE
...

Follow us on

Soccer News

Leeds United should consider Newcastle United’s Mo Diame

Mohamed Diame of Newcastle United beats Alex Gilliead of Bradford City during a pre-season friendly match between Bradford City and Newcastle Unite...
Follow us on Google Discover

The big Newcastle United midfielder might well be ideal for Leeds United.

Mo Diame of Newcastle in action during the EFL Cup Quarter-Final match between Hull City and Newcastle United at KCOM Stadium on November 29, 2016 in Hull, England.

Mohamed Diame is a tall, powerful, goalscoring midfielder with promotion-winning experience – and he might just be perfect for Leeds United.

Newcastle United spent £4.5 million on signing him in the summer of 2016 but the Senegal international never really looked the same player he was at Hull City.

The 30-year-old is yet to start a game for Newcastle this season and a recent training-ground altercation with Jamal Lascelles means it wouldn’t be a major surprise if Rafael Benitez offloaded him in January – and Leeds should front the queue.

Mohamed Diame of Newcastle United during a pre-season friendly match between Bradford City and Newcastle United at Northern Commercials Stadium on July 26, 2017 in Bradford, England.

One criticism levelled at Leeds this season is that Thomas Christiansen’s side have been nowhere near physical enough for the Championship and such deficiencies were exposed by Millwall, Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday in recent weeks.

Not only is Diame is a fine physical specimen but the former West Ham man is also a very decent footballer, inspiring Hull to Premier League promotion in 2016 with 10 goals in 34 Championship starts – three less than Chris Wood managed that year.

Prior to that he managed four Premier League goals in only 10 starts following an injury-ravaged 2014-15 campaign.

Mohamed Diame of Newcastle United beats Alex Gilliead of Bradford City during a pre-season friendly match between Bradford City and Newcastle United at Northern Commercials Stadium on July...

Going up with Newcastle last season was his second successive promotion from the Championship and the Elland Road club could do with such experience in midfield.

It isn’t impossible that Benitez makes him available for transfer and Leeds should certainly be in the mix for his signature if the Magpies indicate that they would sell him.