Aliou Dieng

Matriac

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Looks like a Wan-Bissaka for our midfield with the passing range of Lindelöf.

I wouldn't be completely against it if our budget this summer is spent on Sancho and Varane/Torres.
 

Cloud7

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I did not know of the existence of this player prior to two minutes ago when I opened this thread, but he is the answer to our DM situation.
 

Adnan

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Scenes if he turns out to be good and goes to Dortmund instead of us.
I've only see him on YouTube, but his highlights do look good and I really like that he doesn't dive into challenges. I don't know if that's a fair representation of the player but he's considered the biggest defensive midfield talent in Africa.
 

golden_blunder

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You know when you where a kid and someone gave you 50p, you’d spend 48p on something then look around snd pick a sweet you never had with the last 2p?

well this is nothing like that
 

jeepers

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I've only see him on YouTube, but his highlights do look good and I really like that he doesn't dive into challenges. I don't know if that's a fair representation of the player but he's considered the biggest defensive midfield talent in Africa.
Biggest defensive midfield talent still plying his trade in Africa or just simply biggest African DM talent? What about Bissouma who is also Malian and just a year older? Bennacer?
 
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Lay

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I love these random links. Due to the power of the interwebs, it’s almost impossible to sign unknown players. So when things like this crop up it reminds me of being young and seeing us linked with players I’ve never seen play and thinking they must be world class
 

Adnan

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Biggest defensive midfield talent still plying his trade in Africa or just simply biggest African DM talent? What about Bissouma who is also Malian and just a year older? Bennacer?
Plying his trade in Africa.

Bennacer isn't a DM, he's someone who needs a DM next to him similar to Locatelli and Neuhaus.
 

SATA

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Maybe there’s a Kante in him there somewhere? Nobody knew that Leicester had signed the best DM during that time
 

jeepers

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Plying his trade in Africa.

Bennacer isn't a DM, he's someone who needs a DM next to him similar to Locatelli and Neuhaus.
Thanks Adnan, reading back I realised I was overthinking the post.

Also, thanks for pointing out that Bennacer is not a DM. I thought he was.

Anyway, I don’t think for a second our scouts feel Dieng is good enough. He’s having a good tournament (from what I’ve read) and we’re, as usual, being used by the media and/or the player’s agent. He looks decent enough in the YouTube compilation, but not good enough for the PL. He definitely can move to Europe though, and would do well at a lower league club. If he was really a top talent, he would already be playing in Portugal or France, IMO. We cannot afford to carry a late bloomer, especially in midfield.
 

Adnan

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Thanks Adnan, reading back I realised I was overthinking the post.

Also, thanks for pointing out that Bennacer is not a DM. I thought he was.

Anyway, I don’t think for a second our scouts feel Dieng is good enough. He’s having a good tournament (from what I’ve read) and we’re, as usual, being used by the media and/or the player’s agent. He looks decent enough in the YouTube compilation, but not good enough for the PL. He definitely can move to Europe though, and would do well at a lower league club. If he was really a top talent, he would already be playing in Portugal or France, IMO. We cannot afford to carry a late bloomer, especially in midfield.
You could be right because normally players of his ilk make a jump to a middling club before making the big jump to a club like United.
 

ibra113

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Hello, I am a fan from Mali. Dieng is a very good player. He was ahead of Bissouma in U23. He is strong and can play as a defense midfield or box to box. Going to Europe is more about luck than talent. I think he can shine in the PL but he needs an intermediary step before MU
 

pascell

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Hello, I am a fan from Mali. Dieng is a very good player. He was ahead of Bissouma in U23. He is strong and can play as a defense midfield or box to box. Going to Europe is more about luck than talent. I think he can shine in the PL but he needs an intermediary step before MU
Thanks for the update
 

DWelbz19

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As an avid African football watcher I have to say In about 4-5 years everyone will be complaining that we didn't sign him earlier when he's at a team like Southampton and they're asking for 80 mill.
Unfortunately I don't believe the links as rarely do any players go directly from Africa to a major European team, there's always a stop gap, so can see him at a Southampton or Brighton before we'd have any serious interest.
These players need that stop gap though. You don’t instantly go from African league football to the very top of the PL, being televised twice a week and every one and their dog analysing you on twitter. Nobody really cares about your poor games at Brighton or Southampton, so you quietly go about your business for 12-24 months before making the next step up.

It’s the way of the world in football a lot of the time.
 

ibra113

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Exactly. I have very few doubts about him. He is so strong and he improved a lot in Egypt with his passing. I am very confident he will adapt in PL but he can't play for MU this year. If they can loan him for 1 or 2 years he will become one of the best in the league. He was way better than bissouma and he is still much more athletic and disciplined.
 

Bojan Djordjic

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Sounds like nonsense. Reminds me of that random Ecuadorean centre mid we were linked with last year.
Reckon some people are going to have egg on their face when Brighton sell Bissouma and "that random Ecuadorean with a pre-season underneath him is let loose. He genuinely looks really good and although its puzzling why he hasn't got an opportunity yet, there are lots of potential non-footballing reasons for a non-English speaking teenager to be held back in his first season.

However, I don't think I'd be as keen on Aliou Deng. Looks good mopping up but nothing there to suggest he's technically strong enough for United.