Nathan Blake believes bringing in Mohamed Diame could be key to Cardiff’s promotion push. Newcastle fans would likely disagree – just not too loudly.
Mohamed Diame was a key player in Newcastle United’s promotion push last season, despite often flattering to deceive in black and white.
The former Senegal international made 37 appearances in the Championship, starting 27 times, but his role has been significantly reduced in the Premier League and his performances have tailed off further.
Few Newcastle fans would complain if Diame were to depart in January – and there may well be suitors.
Former Cardiff City and Wales forward Nathan Blake has called on Neil Warnock to take the midfielder to the Bluebirds.
“The person who fits that bill for me is Mohamed Diame, who spends far too much of his time at the moment sitting on the bench up at Newcastle United and who must be itching to play regularly in a successful side,” he wrote in a column for Wales Online.
“Diame, for me, is everything the Bluebirds need for the final push under Warnock.
“Strong, powerful, athletic, experienced and with the know-how of what’s required to go up from the Championship.”
Diame can certainly be an occasionally impactful player in the Championship, but he was not as effective as Newcastle fans had hoped last year.
After seeing him play a crucial role in Hull City’s play-off triumph the year before, Magpies supporters expected a player who would single-handedly win games – Blake still seems to hold a similar opinion.
If Cardiff need some star quality to get them over the line, they may well be better off looking elsewhere.
Should Warnock make a move, though, such a transfer would be welcomed on Tyneside, where receiving a fee for an ailing fringe man had previously seemed unlikely.
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