Last week I wrote an article about Antonio Silva. A young defender who is attracting a lot of interest around the world. This week I thought I would look at another talented defender from Portugal. Young African star, Ousmane Diomandé.
Sporting Lisbon has many great players under the leadership of current manager Ruben Amorim. Goncalo Inacio and Pedro Goncalves have been standout graduates from Sporting’s academy, while players like Ivan Fresnada, Morten Hjulmand and the highly-rated Viktor Gyokeres have all continued their development in the Portuguese capital.
Diomande began his football career with Ivorian side, AS Abobo. After turning professional, he joined Danish club Midtylland in January 2020. He spent a season on loan at Portuguese club Mafra, before Sporting’s arrival in January 2023 and paid €7.5 million for the young defender.
He immediately broke into the first team and quickly became a main player in the team, featuring in a number of important matches for the ‘Leoes’, who went on to beat Arsenal in the round of 16 of the Europa League and finished 4th in the Primeria Liga.
This season, Diomandé continued his excellent work at Sporting and became one of the best young defenders in the world. Many teams across Europe have been linked with the African sensation, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool and Juventus, to name just a few.
Direct the match
Diomandé is the opposite of Silva. When Antonio Silva is described as an “old-fashioned defender”, Diomandé is very much in the category of modern-day defenders.
This means not only is he capable of playing short, quick passes to increase Sporting’s pace in a match, but also a mixture of long-range passes, particularly towards wingers or midfielders higher up the pitch. terrain to launch rapid attacks.
Amorim’s style suits a player like Diomandé, as Sporting play with an extremely strong level of possession. With the Ivorian’s ability to calmly receive possession and disrupt it, this makes him a major asset for Sporting.
When you then consider his ability to dribble the ball backwards, to move the play forward. He becomes Sporting’s ultimate defender. They settle into a 3-4-3 with Diomandé occupying the central position, and sometimes on the right. In many cases, Diomandé advances with the ball to force opposing players to press him, while picking out players wide.
Ultimately, the development he made in this role at Sporting had a huge impact on the early stages of his career and put him in a position to sit at the table with many of the team’s central defenders. elite across Europe.
Stop dangerous attacks
When it comes to stopping the opposition, Diomandé is also a player capable of doing so. Currently in the 2023/24 season, the Ivory Coast international has averaged 1.77 tackles per 90, which is in the top 80%. Showing this aggressive ability to sniff out danger is once again an essential part of his game.
Combining this with his speed and strength, as he dominates the attackers, it is once again a demonstration of his ability to play at the highest level in Europe, as he has become a vital part of the team of Sporting.
However, when it comes to interceptions, blocks, and clearances, Diomande does not make as many as his peers over 90. Many will argue that this is due to Diomande not engaging in these defensive actions .
But there is more to say, since the three at the back, Diomande plays the role of central player among the three when Sebastian Coates is not selected. He will therefore be engaged in less defensive actions. Looking at the defensive qualities offered by midfielders like Hidemasa Morita and Morten Hjulmand, plus the fact that Sporting is one of the best teams in the league, Diomande needs to do less defending and more possession.
This season, Diomandé was able to prove to the world that he is definitely a talking point for many of the biggest teams in the world, if they are looking for a bright young defender.
He certainly has the makings of a modern elite defender, and it’s only a matter of time before one of Europe’s top teams makes a move for the 20-year-old African player. Add in the right facilities and progression at the club, Diomande could become a world-class defender for years to come.
