Who is Sinaly Diomande? The versatile young centre-back who stars for Lyon

25 Oct 2023 10:35 BST
5 min read

Lyon defender Sinaly Diomande has already caught the eye of a plethora of clubs across Europe.

The 22-year-old centre-back enjoyed a breakout season last campaign where he featured in 29 games in all competitions for the Ligue 1 outfit.

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But who is Diomande and why has he garnered so much interest?

What position does Diomande play in?

Diomande is a versatile, right-footed player who primarily operates as a centre-back. He can play anywhere across the central defense and also has experience as a right-back.

How good is Diomande?

Part of Diomande’s appeal is his versatility, being able to play as part of a back-three or back-four. The youngster is also a very reliable passer who can break the lines from when in possession from deep. This is also true of finding the forward line and drilling passes over the top of the opposition's defence.

The Ivory Coast international stands at 6 feet but his ability to win headers as well as his tremendous leap makes him an opposing figure for strikers to play against. Teams attempting to play crosses into the box struggle to find their man as Diomande is often there to head clear, covering yards of space in seconds to attack the ball.

Given his young age, there is still so much to come from Diomande. And given the fact he’s a first-team starter already for Lyon, it tells you all you need to know about his potential in the coming years.

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What clubs are interested in Diomande?

Diomande has been linked with several clubs across Europe already. Foot Mercato reported in May that Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, Getafe, Rayo Vallecano, Bologna, and Sassuolo all inquired about his availability at Lyon, but they received a firm ‘no’ in response.