With four goals in 14 league appearances under Jorge Sampaoli, Bamba Dieng has been impressive for Marseille this season.
It’s earned him four caps for Senegal since October, as well as a spot on the transfer shortlist of a number of Premier League clubs, including Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and West Ham United.
That’s according to La Provence in France, who explain the trio’s interest in the player is ‘real’, queuing up alongside Newcastle for his services.
It’s a well known fact the Hammers are in need of a striker, having only Michail Antonio in the role to date, and David Moyes is keen to rectify that in January.
Crystal Palace, down their end, have a number of options up front, but with Jean-Philippe Mateta potentially leaving the Eagles to try and find more game time back in France with Saint-Etienne, despite what Patrick Vieira has said, a move for Bamba Dieng could make sense.
As for Aston Villa, they probably wouldn’t use the Marseille man as a centre-forward, instead allowing him to come in from the left, seeing as they already have the likes of Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings in their ranks.
Capable of featuring through the middle, or as stated above, as an inside forward, Dieng is a promising talent and one the Ligue 1 side would like to keep if possible.
Offers have yet to arrive on Pablo Longoria’s desk, meaning that until someone actually does something, he will be staying in the south of France.
