Everton are firmly in the race for FC Midtjylland centre-back Ousmane Diao ahead of the summer 2026 window. According to Africa Foot, the Toffees have put the Senegalese defender on their shortlist and are seriously interested in the 21-year-old. Everton scouts made at least eight trips to Midtjylland by December to track several players, but their focus has now narrowed down to Diao.
Everton eye Ousmane Diao as summer transfer battle heats up
Midtjylland are open to a sale, but they want €15–20 million, which is a steep ask considering his €8 million Transfermarkt valuation. RB Leipzig have already tried their luck with a €12 million bid, which the Danish side rejected instantly to show they won’t be pushed around. Since Diao’s contract runs until June 2029 with no release clause, the Danish club hold all the cards.
The right-footed centre-back moved to Midtjylland permanently in July 2024 after a spell with Portuguese club CD Mafra. He has put up impressive numbers for a young defender, netting 10 goals and five assists in 75 appearances. His defensive stats are just as solid as he averages 2.26 tackles, 1.31 interceptions, and 3.64 clearances per 90 minutes, with the team conceding only once every 137 minutes while he’s on the pitch.
Even so, Diao is still untested at the highest level. Jumping from the Danish Superliga to the Premier League is a massive leap, and paying up to €20 million for that transition is a gamble. He isn’t short of admirers, either; Eintracht Frankfurt, Porto, Benfica, Fulham, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, and Bournemouth are all keeping tabs on him.
Does Diao actually fix Everton’s defensive headache or merely add to it?
With Jarrad Branthwaite facing another injury-hit season and veteran pair James Tarkowski and Michael Keane getting older, Everton desperately need more options at the back for the 2026/27 campaign. This makes Diao a very timely target. However, Everton need to be smart about the price tag. At €15–20 million, Midtjylland are asking for potential rather than a proven Premier League product.
For an Everton side that might be preparing for European football, that’s a risky fee to pay for an unproven quantity. Just because a player looks great in Denmark doesn’t mean they will thrive in England. Diao has the pace, the passing, and the goal threat, but the physical demands of the Premier League are a different beast entirely.
Everton’s best bet is to try to sign him for closer to €10–12 million. At that price, they can develop him as a long-term partner for Branthwaite rather than throwing him straight into the fire as a guaranteed starter. That’s the logical move for the Blues.
