Everton have been linked with a move for free agent right-back Krepin Diatta
Senegal international right-back Krepin Diatta is a free agent after his Monaco contract expired
Senegal international right-back Krepin Diatta is a free agent after his Monaco contract expired
View 2 Images
Everton’s need for a right-back has reached such proportions that even new Prime Minister and Blues season ticket holder Andy Burnham has issued a transfer demand to snap one up.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sam Cohen for GiveMeSport, the PM proclaimed: “The signs are good but there is one thing that I would just ask: ‘Sign a right-back.’
“We need a right-back. Poor old Jake [O'Brien] can’t do another season at right-back.
“He’s a good player, he’s a great centre-back. Buy a right-back.”
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill revealed on July 31 that Moyes had called him to say there would be contact over Canada World Cup star Alistair Johnston and the Blues subsequently had a representative at Parkhead watching him play in the Bhoys’ opening game of their Scottish Premiership title defence as they defeated Dundee 1-0.
However, despite the ECHO understanding that Johnston had told Celts chiefs that he was keen to make the move to Hill Dickinson Stadium, the Daily Record now reports that Everton have cooled their interest in the 27-year-old after failing to meet his current employers’ asking price of upwards of £15million.
So, with that in mind, Footmercato reports that both the Blues and newly promoted Ipswich Town are hoping to attract Krepin Diatta, who is a free agent after his contract at Monaco expired, although the likes of Marseille and Schalke are also in the frame. Diatta, who is an international team-mate of Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye, started all five of Senegal’s World Cup games this summer at right-back but he is a versatile performer who can fill several positions in wide areas of both defence and midfield.
Diatta was born in the Senegalese capital of Dakar on February 25, 1999, a couple of days before Everton drew 1-1 at home to Wimbledon. Efan Ekoku, who became the first player to score four goals in a Premier League game when Norwich City triumphed 5-1 at Goodison Park on September 25, 1993, fired the south London side ahead on 14 minutes with what proved to be his last appearance against the Blues having netted eight times in as many fixtures against them.
However, 18-year-old Francis Jeffers earned a share of the spoils for Walter Smith’s side with a 56th minute equaliser with what was his first Premier League goal for the home-grown hero.
Having started out in youth football with Santhiaba Zinguinchor, Diatta switched to Oslo Football Academy Dakar where he caught the eye of newly promoted Norwegian top flight side Sarpsborg 08 in 2017. After a single season with them, he moved to Club Brugge in January 2018 and spent three years in Belgium before joining Monaco in January 2021.
Diatta has now made 265 appearances in European club football, scoring 36 goals. However, after hitting double figures for Brugge in the first half of 2020/21 before his departure and then striking five times in his second full season at Monaco, he has failed to find the net for the last three campaigns.
He made his international debut in a 2-0 win over Madagascar on March 23, 2019, and has been capped 66 times, scoring twice. But what sort of player is Diatta?
On Comparisonator’s player profile, it is difficult to pint him down to any particular type. He scores 4.5 out of 10 as a wing back; 4.4 as a two-ways full-back; 4.2 as a playmaker back and 4.1 as a defensive full-back.
We can also use Comparisonator’s Virtual Transfer tool to correlate Diatta’s statistics in Ligue 1 last season against Premier League players in his position. The area he excels in is key passes with more per 90 minutes (0.59) than Premier League leader Pedro Porro of Tottenham Hotspur (0.58) on a list where Everton’s James Garner came fourth on 0.5.
Krepin Diatta's key passes for Monaco in Ligue 1 last season compared to Premier League right-backs
Krepin Diatta's key passes for Monaco in Ligue 1 last season compared to Premier League right-backs
View 2 Images
Diatta’s numbers for successful crosses (1.24) would place him second in the Premier League behind Porro on 1.67 with Garner again fourth on the list on 1.1. The 27-year-old is also rapid given that only two Premier League right-backs, Timothy Castagne of Fulham (116m) and Daniel Munoz of Crystal Palace (111m) cover more distance per minute than his 108m.
At the other end of the scale, Diatta (2.47) averaged fewer interceptions than any Premier League player in his position with Aaron Wan-Bissaka of West Ham United top on 5.88. He also had fewer pickings-up (of loose balls) on 1.12 than any of his English top flight peers in a category topped by Fulham’s Kenny Tete (3.55) who the Blues tried to sign last summer when he was a free agent before changing his mind and penning a new deal at Craven Cottage.
Although Diatta (0.71) made more successful dribbles than Everton pair Jake O’Brien (0.39) and Garner (0.3) that would only be good enough to rank him 15th in his position in the Premier League behind leader Amad Diallo of Manchester United (2.07). Additionally, with just 0.65 progressive runs per 90 minutes in a category also topped by Amad on 3.8, there were just three players with fewer than Diatta – O’Brien (0.61); Nicola Savana of Nottingham Forest (0.43) and Adam Smith of Bournemouth (0.33).
Also, despite his excellence for key passes, Diatta’s successful pass rate average of 22.47 would only place him 28th in the Premier League, just above O’Brien (22) and way off leader Curtis Jones of Liverpool (56.83) with Garner sixth on 39.9. However, when it comes to duels won percentage, only Garner (64%) can top Diatta’s 60%.
Overall, Diatta looks like a player who can do a decent job in certain areas and has considerable experience at the highest level with both his clubs and country but there still appears to be some glaring holes in his game. Given that he potentially fills four positions in a squad, similar to Ashley Young at Everton between 2023-25, on a free transfer he is perhaps worth a punt as the second of two right-backs that Moyes arguably needs to recruit.
*Comparisonator is a football data comparison tool from 271 professional leagues around the world which compares players and clubs by utilising an industry leading 378 different parameters. Click here for more details.