Chelsea are looking to sign Lyon defender Mouctar Diakhaby in the January transfer window in order to strengthen their defensive armoury. The U-21 international has impressed at Lyon, playing a pivotal role in the Europa League, which has helped his side already reach the knockout stages. This has, eventually, seen him receive a lot of attention from other clubs. Scouts from Juventus and Manchester City are reportedly interested in his signature.
Antonio Conte needs reinforcements, especially after an issue with David Luiz on the training ground. The Brazilian was dropped out of the side that beat Manchester United. Unfortunately for him, he was not even on the bench.
The Frenchman began his career with the youth teams of USSA Vertou, Nantes and Lyon. After 12 long years at this level, he moved to Lyon B, for whom he made 54 league appearances and got onto to the score sheet 11 times. He made his first-team debut against Bordeaux in 2016, a month after the season began.
The starlet got his first goal at the expense of boyhood club Nantes, in the same year. In the 2016-17 season, he made a total of 34 appearances, scoring five goals. This season, the tall lad has chipped in with one. He has also played for France U-19, U-20 and U-21 teams.
Standing tall at 6 ft 4 inch, he is an absolute threat in the opposition box. Aerially, he can bully strikers at the mere age of 20. Diakhaby knows how to position himself in the box and uses his strength to good effect, illustrating how mature he already is.
He would be a fine addition to Chelsea, although it’s not really required. Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill have been in fine form. With the inclusion of Antonio Rudiger and the re-birth of Andreas Christensen under Conte, Chelsea’s defence doesn’t look too troubled. Their form has been far from what it was last season, but they put up a good show against Manchester United defensively.
In their ranks, they have the effective Jake Clark-Salter too, who showed solidity in the game against Nottingham Forest. Kurt Zouma should return to west London after the summer as he is a man for the future at Chelsea FC. Also to mention, there have been no claims that David Luiz’s career is over at Stamford Bridge yet.
If they land him to Cobham, it would be great as he is performing well at Lyon. But, they must give their development squad’s players a chance and focus on their youth, a bunch of players who come with a lot of promise and talent.
