Manchester City are considering offers for young Lyon defender Mouctar Diakhaby. The Premier League leaders were looking for a centre back in the wake of their lack of defensive cover at the back and the 20-year-old starlet is one of the top targets for the Sky Blues in this upcoming January transfer window.
As per top scout Txiri Begiristain and co-assistant coach Mikel Arteta, Mouctar Diakhaby has all the qualities he needs, to thrive under the leadership of Pep Guardiola, which makes him a reasonable transfer target for the league leaders.
Since getting promoted to the Lyon first team, the 20-year-old has seen a meteoric rise towards the top and is currently one of the most promising centre-backs in the Ligue 1. Standing at a massive 6 feet 3 inches, Diakhaby is a defensive giant, who can not only be intimidating to the opposing strikers but can also aid his team in set pieces.
Having said that, however, physical prowess and aerial abilities are not the only traits the defender possesses. Diakhaby is advertised to be an excellent ball-playing centre-back as well, which only bodes well for Pep Guardiola. In addition, the 20-year-old also excels in his defensive duties, as he averages the second most defensive actions at Lyon so far this season.
However, his passing range is kind of remains limited. Although he’s an excellent short passer of the ball, Diakhaby lacks the quality to provide cross-field or diagonal long balls to the other half of the pitch and it’s something he needs to improve on.
In terms of aerial battles, Diakhaby is simply a defensive beast. His ability to win aerial duels is what makes him a unique proposition for the Lyon backline. Furthermore, the young defender is also quite equipped in dealing against physically challenging strikers, which can be a very handy trait in the Premier League.
Considering the health concerns of Vincent Kompany, Manchester City definitely need an extra centre-back to provide as a proper back to Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones. While Ellaquim Mangala is not really a favourite of Pep Guardiola, the constant injury worries for captain Vincent Kompany doesn’t help either.
Meaning, Mouctar Diakhaby can be the perfect fit for the Citizens. Not only can he easily plug that gap in the backline, but he also comes with decent Champions League exposure as well experience in playing at one of Europe’s top leagues. But is he the right man for Manchester City?
