West Bromwich Albion have completed their first summer signing, with the Baggies completing the free transfer of Mali midfielder Ousmane Diakite on a two-year deal.
Diakite has initially penned a two-year contract at The Hawthorns, with a further year’s option in the club’s favour, and the 23-year-old has moved to Albion from Austrian Bundesliga outfit TSV Hartberg.
Diakite is the first signing of the summer for Baggies head coach Carlos Corberan, with the West Brom boss praising Diakite’s potential and versatility.
Speaking via the club’s website, the Spaniard said: “Ousmane is a young, talented midfielder with the potential to continue his growth as a player in England.
“His personality on the ball will help us transition from defence to attack. He has experience abroad in Austria’s top league and has good physical attributes, which will help him to adapt to the high demands of the Championship.”
Ousmane Diakite’s 2023/24 campaign with TSV Hartberg was impressive
Diakite played 34 times last season, scoring two goals but he was also sent off twice. The Malian helped his side to an impressive fifth-placed finish in the Austrian Bundesliga last term.
His club career included stints with SCR Altach in Austria and St. Gallen in Switzerland previously, but it is with Hartberg that his career has gone to the next level, with the midfielder taking great strides in his personal development and improving rapidly.
Although he never featured for them, Diakite is a former Red Bull Salzburg player, and the Austrian giants are renowned for their eye for young talent with plenty of potential, with many graduates of the club going on to have impressive careers elsewhere, and Diakite is one for Baggies fans to get excited for in that sense.
Having moved to Austria from his homeland in 2018, and after a series of loan spells, he made a permanent move to Hartberg in 2023 on a one-year deal. The risk may have been worth taking for Hartberg, who climbed five places from 10th to fifth in the Bundesliga standings.
He was central to their ability to dominate a midfield, with the combative and rangy midfielder able to snap into challenges to win the ball back with his long and powerful strides, whilst being a clean receiver of the ball to keep it moving under pressure as well.
All of that is perhaps somewhat akin to Okay Yokuslu, whilst his ability carry the ball through the thirds to break lines could even be an upgrade on the Turkish international. It has been reported this week that Trabzonspor remain keen on re-signing Yokuslu this summer, according to the Express & Star.
The Turkish giants have a long-standing interest and he has just one year left on his deal. According to a report from earlier this year from Turkish outlet Sports Digitale, Trabzonspor are just one Süper Lig side who will make an attempt to secure his services in the summer transfer window.
West Brom may have landed gem in Ousmane Diakite despite knee injury risk
Not only do Salzburg have an eye for a player, but one of the best places to look for evaluating and analysing young players is Scouted Football, who themselves are impressed at the deal, despite the risk factor surrounding Diakite’s knee injuries, which hampered his progress after a strong start on loan with St. Gallen, and perhaps explains why Salzburg were willing to part ways with him.
It’s high praise indeed, and only time will tell as to whether he is able to match their lofty expectations.
On paper, it appears as though Diakite could help to soften the blow of Yokuslu departing and evolve the West Brom midfield to the next level, with the Baggies perhaps needing one or two younger players within their ranks to move into their next squad cycle under Corberan.
He is composed yet powerful, elegant yet energetic, and has the physical robustness to handle the rigours of Championship football – as Corberan has alluded to with high praise himself.
It’s early on in this year’s market, but on a low-risk but high-reward free transfer, this looks like it could potentially be one of the best pieces of business of any Championship team so far in the transfer window.
