Wolves Opinion: Why Mouctar Diakhaby would be a top addition for Wolves
According to French newspaper L’Equipe, Wolves are interested in Valencia centre-back Mouctar Diakhaby.
The 22-year-old defender joined Valencia from Lyon last summer and helped Marcelinho’s side qualify for the Champions League with a fourth-placed finish in La Liga.
Due to Valencia qualifying for the Champions League, it’ll be difficult on Wolves part to persuade Diakhaby in joining them. Nevertheless, Nuno Espirito Santo should attempt to bring him to the Molineux this summer.
Wolves enjoyed a fantastic return to the Premier League, finishing seventh on the table. They have Europa League football to offer, a season after achieving promotion which in itself is a mighty achievement from Nuno and co. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals, only to be beaten by Watford in dramatic fashion.
With four competitions to participate in next season and an early start to the campaign owing to the Europa League qualifiers commencing in late July, Nuno knows it won’t be easy to repeat the success. But that certainly should be Wolves’ aim for the 2019/20 campaign.
One of the primary reasons for the Wanderers’ rich success this past season was their well-drilled defence. In Conor Coady, Wily Boly and Ryan Bennett, Nuno had a settled back-three that was very difficult for the teams to breach. Leander Dendoncker and Romain Saiss filled in when required, but the Midlands club will need a bigger squad next term, particularly if they come through the Europa League qualifying rounds.
At the moment, Nuno’s side is particularly thin on the ground for quality in the defence and reinforcements will be needed. And that should prompt the Wolves manager to splash the cash to sign Mouctar Diakhaby from Valencia.
Dikhaby has had a mixed debut season with Valencia, making just 16 league starts, but he was heavily involved in European competitions. And given his performances in the Europa League this season, he could be a handy option to have in the squad for Wolves.
The Frenchman is a no-nonsense defender, blessed with immense strength and power. The 22-year-old is a decent passer of the ball and is capable of breaking the lines with his distribution from the back.
A robust tackler, Diakhaby has the tendency to fly into challenges and set the tone for a game. He is lethal in the opposition box, whilst the ex-Lyon star’s experience of European football would be handy for Wolves.
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Diakhaby would compete for a spot in one of Wolves’ three centre-back positions, and who knows, he might end up being an upgrade over someone. Also, he’ll be a solid option to have as a back-up for Nuno.
Verdict
The French powerhouse could be available for around £20million and if Nuno manages to sign Diakhaby for that amount, Wolves would make a statement of intent ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.
