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Everton have been linked with Mohamed Diomande who could be their answer to midfield enforcer Granit Xhaka.
Every David Moyes team has had a player in the middle of the park who would be the linchpin and his time at Everton has been no different.
O’Riley will be better known to fans, however, Diomande has been tipped for the top and could thrive in the Premier League. There is also a familiar style to how he goes about his business.
Mohamed Diomande could be Everton’s answer to Granit Xhaka
Diomande signed for Rangers from Danish outfit Nordsjaelland for a fee of £4.3m and has largely been a success for a team who has not had their troubles to seek in recent seasons.
The consensus is that there is a good player there in terms of technical ability, but he needs more help from those in front and behind him to truly shine.
Using Data MB’s comparison model, Diomande could be the perfect replacement for Doucoure and measures up to a European powerhouse midfielder.
Granit Xhaka left Arsenal to join Bayer Leverkusen where he was pivotal in Xabi Alonso’s title winning team. His leadership and ability to keep his team on the front foot was a main component of their success.
Diomande, shares almost an identical statistical profile to Xhaka from his last season at Arsenal with only a more attack minded position seeing his passing improve in the Bundesliga.
As No.8s go, Diomande is as well-rounded as they come and it is little surprise to see him in the Ivory Coast squad and attracting attention from the Premier League.
Radar image of Mohamed Diomande of Rangers for 2024/25 and Granit Xhaka of Bayer Leverkusen from his 2022/23 season at Arsenal.Radar image of Mohamed Diomande of Rangers for 2024/25 and Granit Xhaka of Bayer Leverkusen from his 2022/23 season at Arsenal.
Radar image of Mohamed Diomande of Rangers for 2024/25 and Granit Xhaka of Bayer Leverkusen from his 2022/23 season at Arsenal. | Data MB
Could Diomande handle the Premier League?
Speaking in the post-match press conference after a dramatic 2-2 draw with Aberdeen last season with Rangers down to 10-men for much of the match and having been 2-0 behind, the 24-year old showed that he is more than happy to mix it with opposition players after a scuffle at full-time: “It’s part of the game and I think he’s a good guy but on the pitch, he’s [Graeme Shinnie] a bit tough,” Diomande said explaining the post-match fall out with the Aberdeen skipper.
“I like that also because I’m also tough on the pitch and I’m not going to be taken down easily. So, if he steps on my toes then I’m going to stand up for myself.
“I think that’s what happened and after the game, we shook each other’s hand and then we moved on.”
Diomande chipped in with six goals and nine assists last season, but it is his 54 appearances that are a positive for Everton to consider.
For consistency, Moyes must be able to pick his best players on a regular basis and the Rangers No.10 is rarely injured or unavailable.
Everton could do a lot worse than start their summer by signing their own Granit Xhaka and build the team around him.
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