Hours after it had been reported that Leeds United had made a £22m bid for Strasbourg captain Habib Diarra, the midfielder was in action for Senegal against England at the City Ground.
Senegal shocked plenty as Thomas Tuchel suffered defeat for the first time since replacing gaffer Gareth Southgate. A 3-1 win for Senegal against an England side lacking in intensity, attitude and concentration.
Diarra, 21, started in the middle of the park for Senegal alongside stars such as Nicolas Jackson, Ismaila Sarr, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly. It was Diarra that gave Senegal the lead in the second half.
Latching on to a pass from Koulibaly and afforded the freedom of the England penalty area, it looked as if he tried to find Chelsea’s Jackson for a tap-in. His cross – or shot – went through Dean Henderson and in.
What African media said about Leeds target Diarra’s display
In what was the last outing of the season for the players not involved in the FIFA Club World Cup, Diarra lasted until the 70th minute before being replaced. It comes after Leeds tabled a £22m bid for Diarra.
A move for him is deemed somewhat ambitious, with Diarra and his agents of the belief he is worthy of playing for an elite club in European competition. Leeds are not particularly confident of getting Diarra.
But a bid has been lodged nonetheless, with Leeds fans desperate for Diarra to sign after watching him get the better of a midfield consisting of Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Atletico Madrid ace Conor Gallagher.
African media outlet WIW Sport handed Diarra a rating of just 6.5/10 however, saying he worked hard but could have done better at times. They say his goal was Diarra trying to find a pass, rather than shooting.
“A decent performance from the Strasbourg midfielder. Always generous in effort, never satisfied when it comes to providing offensive solutions, Diarra certainly didn’t break the screen but was particularly good.
“Especially in his runs. While he wasn’t successful with his first two shots of the match, he found the key to give Senegal the lead when he seemed to be trying to cross to Jackson. Already four goals in 11 caps.”
The difficulties facing Leeds United in deal to sign Habib Diarra
Strasbourg captain Diarra has sparkled in French football, already wearing the armband at just 21. Liam Rosenior is delighted with Diarra and excited for the midfielder’s career in football moving forward.
Diarra has outgrown Strasbourg, there is no doubt about that. But Leeds are worried because Strasbourg are delaying a reply as they wait for further offers, in hope that bigger bids are tabled for the midfielder.
In the Premier League, Everton and Brighton have been watching Diarra for months. So not only do The Whites face competition for Diarra, but Strasbourg want more cash – with Leeds needing many arrivals.
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