Report: 22-year-old cried after missing out on summer move to Leeds

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With just hours to go ahead of the September 1st deadline, it seemed as if Bamba Dieng would be swapping Marseille for Leeds.

Andrea Radrizzani even told Leeds fans to “welcome” the 22-year-old as an agreement was seemingly found, before the deal suddenly collapsed following late interest from OGC Nice.

The drama didn’t end there. Dieng actually failed his medical with the Ligue 1 side, and ended up staying at Marseille after missing out on two opportunities in one day.

Now, L’Equipe have shed light on how that made the Senegal international feel.

Leeds situation upset Bamba Dieng

According to the reliable French news outlet, Dieng was left in tears after his dramatic deadline day experiences.

L’Equipe state that he ‘sometimes cried with incomprehension and rage’ after his attempts to leave Marseille resulted in him being dropped by Igor Tudor.

Dieng is yet to play a single second of football for Marseille this season, although he was still trusted by Aliou Cissé to take part in Senegal’s friendlies against Bolivia and Iran during this international break.

Clearly, his initial attempts to leave Marseille for Leeds – before OGC Nice also tempted him – have had a significant impact on his life at Marseille.

Hopefully, Dieng and Tudor can put the situation behind them, and the youngster can make his first domestic appearance of the campaign shortly.

Leeds may have better than Bamba Dieng

After seeing a move for Dieng collapse, Leeds pulled off a late deal for Wilfried Gnonto.

The Italy international looked very sharp in his nation’s 1-0 UEFA Nations League win over England last week, driving at the Three Lions with some confident dribbling which troubled Gareth Southgate’s side.

At the age of just 18 – four years younger than Dieng – Leeds may have actually signed a better option with more potential to fulfil.

Of course, patience is required with Gnonto given his lack of Premier League experience, but from what we’ve seen so far, Leeds could have a diamond on their hands.