In a recent report, AS has revealed that Newcastle United are keeping tabs on Valencia defender Mouctar Diakhaby this summer. It is understood that the Magpies could face competition in the form of Leicester City in the race to recruit the French centre-back during this summer transfer period (via AS).
Diakhaby’s Solid Form At The Mestalla Stadium Last Season
The Vendome-born talent has produced some solid displays for Valencia last season but missed some key matches because of multiple injuries. Diakhaby appeared in 27 matches for the Spanish outfit in the previous campaign, scoring one goal and picking up four yellow cards along with one red card in all competitions.
The 24-year-old was a rock at the back as he averaged 0.6 tackles, 1.0 interceptions, 3.8 clearances and 0.8 blocks per game in the 2020-21 La Liga season. He even distributed the ball relatively well after making 85% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top-flight (stats via whoscored).
The nine-time France Under-21 international has still got over two years remaining in his Valencia contract, so the Magpies would have to make a substantial offer if they want to win the chase for his services in this off-season.
Will The French Defensive Ace Be A Good Fit For The Magpies?
Standing at 1.92m, Diakhaby is a towering presence on the defensive end of the field. He can get stuck in with some crunching tackles and is always willing to clear his lines when in danger of being caught out at the back. The Frenchman is also not afraid to put his body on the line to block a goal-bound shot when needed. Plus, he is a tidy passer of the ball which could give Newcastle boss Steve Bruce the option to build plays from the defence if he can find a way to sign the player this summer.
Diakhaby will inject a lot of bite and steel to the Magpies backline and would undeniably increase competition for places within their squad. Hence, the French sensation will be a decent fit for the Tyneside giants as he will aid them in their quest to avoid getting dragged into a relegation dogfight in the upcoming Premier League campaign.
At 24, Diakhaby is only going to get better in the coming years, so Bruce would be wise to engineer a move to land him before the start of the new season. All in all, the Valencia powerhouse will be a good signing for the Magpies as long as they are willing to play him regularly in top-flight football.
