Why Leicester City should reignite interest in Habib Diallo
Back in May, a report from the Leicestershire Live had mentioned Leicester City among a host of Premier League clubs interested in Habib Diallo, who was then plying his trade with Metz in Ligue 1.
Newcastle United, Chelsea, and Watford were also touted as other potential suitors for the Senegalese ace but a move to English football never quite came to fruition during the summer window. Diallo eventually switched boats to join Strasbourg.
Profile
Habib Diallo rose through the youth system at Metz and initially made a positive impression for the club’s reserve side in the lower divisions. He scored 9 goals in 17 games in the second-tier during the 2015-16 campaign, guiding his club to promotion. However, Diallo was loaned out to Ligue 2 outfit Brest after scoring just once in 19 Ligue 1 outings in 2016-17.
The 25-year-old spent a season and a half on loan at Brest, scoring 16 goals in the second-tier, before returning to his parent club in 2018. Diallo plundered a career-best 26 goals in the 2018-19 season and Metz won the Ligue 2 title and secured promotion back to the top-flight.
Diallo subsequently proved his credentials in Ligue 1 the following season, registering 12 goals and 3 assists in 26 appearances to steer Metz clear of the relegation zone. The Senegalese international was snapped up by Strasbourg in the summer after an impressive campaign in the top-flight last term.
Diallo would add more depth to Leicester’s attack
Leicester City roped in the likes of Timothy Castagne and Wesley Fofana to bolster their backline in the summer while Turkish winger Cengiz Under also came through the door on loan from AS Roma to add more cutting-edge to the Foxes’ attack.
Brendan Rodgers’ side seem pretty well-stocked at both ends of the pitch but they should look to add more quality to their ranks when the transfer window reopens in January. The Foxes will be expected to challenge for a top-four finish in the Premier League once again, having narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification last term.
In addition to that, Leicester will also harbour hopes of going deep into the Europa League and their squad depth will surely be put to test when the fixtures start to come thick and fast later on in the campaign.
The Foxes have relied heavily on talismanic frontman Jamie Vardy to deliver the goods in front of goal ever since their promotion to the PL. But with the veteran Englishman set to turn 34 in January, Leicester need to start taking the pressure off his shoulders.
Kelechi Iheanacho is definitely a quality back-up but the Nigerian international has often struggled for consistency. Ayoze Perez is another option in front of goal but Rodgers has largely preferred to utilise him in a wide attacking role.
Hence, there is certainly enough room for Leicester to accommodate another out-and-out striker, and reigniting interest in Habib Diallo would make a lot of sense. The Senegalese star has shown massive improvement in terms of end product over the past two years and looks ready to test his credentials in English football.
Standing at 6ft 1in with a powerful frame, the 25-year-old has the physicality to cope with the demands of playing in the Premier League. A deal for Diallo would add more depth and quality to Leicester’s attack.
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Verdict
Suffice to say, Leicester need to groom a promising young striker to take over the goalscoring duties from Vardy and Habib Diallo seems to have all the raw materials to shine in English football. The 25-year-old still has his best years ahead of him and the Foxes making a renewed attempt to sign him in January would be a welcome boost to their long-term plans moving forward.
