Southampton are ready to make a bid for Ibrahima Diallo, with Ligue 1 outfit Brest demanding £13 million for the so-called ‘new N’Golo Kante’, according to L’Equipe.
It is five years since Leicester City brought a little-known midfield scrapper to England after he caught the eye on the other side of the Channel.
It remains to be seen whether Diallo can hit the remarkable standards set by a man who almost revolutionised the defensive midfield role at the King Power and Stamford Bridge, although comparing the 21-year-old Frenchman with a young Kante certainly makes sense.
Averaging 2.8 tackles per game in Ligue 1, Diallo is quickly gaining a reputation for himself as one of the most effective ball-winners in Europe.
After Southampton missed out on the likes of Weston McKennie and Ibrahim Sangare, the latter admitting to VI this week that he could have moved to St Mary’s before joining PSV for £9 million, L’Equipe claims that Diallo is the latest midfield target on the Saints’ radar.
Brest allegedly want £13 million.
Considering there are just five days left in the transfer window, and Southampton are running out of time in their attempts to replace departed captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, the Saints may have no choice but to simply fork out the money.
Yet, with Diallo open to a move, you’d imagine that the player himself would be willing to listen to offers from the South Coast.
“At my age, it would be silly to say that I can’t aim higher. Without disrespecting the club, I want to go higher,” Diallo told Le Telegramme in August.
“There is an agreement with Ibrahima Diallo. (He can leave) based on an attractive offer for the player and the club,” added sporting director Gregory Lorenzi when speaking to L’Equipe.
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