According to the reports from L’Équipe as cited by GFFN, Celtic are in a race with Premier League clubs to sign Le Mans’ winger Stéphane Diarra. The wide player currently plies his trade in the French second division. Along with the Hoops, Newcastle United and Leicester City are also said to be interested.
Diarra has so far managed three goals and two assists in 16 appearances this season. The wide player moved to Le Mans in the summer from Rennes. The Ivory Coast-born winger never managed to play for Rennes’ senior side, and he only made appearances for their B team. He is primarily a right-winger but can feature from the left as well.
Diarra is still just 20, and he is still building up experience by playing regular football at the senior level. The report doesn’t mention how much he might cost or how keen the Hoops are for him at the moment.
Celtic’s options on the right flank
Celtic currently have James Forrest as their main man on the right flank, and it will take someone special to remove him from the first-team spot.
The Hoops also signed Marian Shved who is waiting in the wings (excuse the pun!) to get his chances. The Ukranian international is seen as a promising talent, but so far he has struggled to settle in at the club as Lennon has used him just twice this season. Apart from that, Lewis Morgan can also play from the right, but he has been average in his performances more often than not. A right-winger might not be a necessity for the Hoops, given the way how strong Forrest is going.
What can Diarra offer?
The 20-year-old is known for his sublime dribbling skills, and he is often willing to take defenders on. His pace can trouble quite a few defenders in the Premiership. However, Diarra is still relatively raw and is a work in progress. Hence, Celtic shouldn’t expect miracles from him if they sign him in the future.
What should Lennon do?
The Ivorian born French winger seems to be a decent talent, but Celtic should wait to see him longer in action for Le Mans. The Hoops are not in desperate need to sign a right-winger so they should continue to keep track of Diarra’s performance for now instead of making a move for him in the January transfer window. By summer, they can have a larger sample size to judge whether he will be good enough for a move to Parkhead or not.
