Sporting CP signing Ousmane Diomande on a permanent deal is a fascinating transfer to happen in Liga Portugal during the 2023 winter transfer window. Regarded as a young defender with world-class potential, Diomande was linked with many potential moves, with Premier League clubs like Arsenal and Southampton showing interest in the 19-year-old before Sporting Lisbon swooped on the talent. Diomande joined the youth academy of Danish side FC Midtjylland in 2020 and was loaned out to Liga Portugal 2 outfit Mafra this season. After a string of solid performances in the second division that saw him score one goal and provide an assist, the Ivorian youngster earned a transfer to one of the biggest clubs in Portugal. Below, we look at some of Ousmane Diomande’s stats from the current season.
Ousmane Diomande made 17 appearances in all competitions for Mafra in the 2022–23 season. He played in 13 Liga Portugal II matches and started 11 of them. The above viz shows the player’s percentile rank in comparison to the other centre-backs in the Portuguese second division. Diomande is ranked at the top for contesting defensive duels and winning aerial duels. He also ranks highly for challenging aerial duels and winning defensive duels. Additionally, the Ivorian has a high rank for most of the possession metrics, including various types of passes. Meanwhile, the player ranks at the top for dribbles and also has overall decent stats in the attacking department.
Defensive attributes
Ousmane Diomande’s primary position is centre-back and he is capable with both his right and left foot. He has an aggressive playstyle along with speed. The above viz illustrates the player’s heat map from the current season. It can be observed that the defender shows high intensity in the defensive third as well as in the midfield. He covers a lot of ground in his own half but also likes to get involved in the other half. Despite being a young player, he comes with a good sense of anticipation and great technique.
Ousmane Diomande takes command of the central defensive area in the defensive and middle thirds for his team. The above viz shows the player’s defensive territory from the matches he played for Mafra. The player commits lots of defensive actions and interceptions within his own half and has given up zero fouls in the penalty box while doing so. He makes 4.02 interceptions per 90, along with 7.94 defensive duels and 5.67 aerial duels. He is greatly efficient at his duels and has a 69.2 win rate for defensive and aerial duels. Diomande gives up 1.83 fouls per 90, which shows his composure while defending, and also averages 2.62 clearances per match.
Passing ability
Diomande performs the important role of circulating possession and building up play from the centre-back position. The Ivorian has an intelligent passing ability for both short and long passes. Currently, he averages around 50 passes per match with nearly 86.4% accuracy. His pass map above shows a network of sideward passes in his own half, but they become more progressive passes into the midfield and wider areas as he moves towards the other end of the pitch. Diomande averages 20.08 forward passes per match with over 78.7% accuracy. Among these, 5.06 of the passes are to the final third, with an accuracy rate of 67.2%.
Role at Sporting CP
The addition of Ousmane Diomande will add more depth and talent to Sporting CP’s defensive structure. They usually play with three defenders at the back, and the young Ivorian can be a backup option while giving competition for a starting role to the likes of Goncalo Inacio, Sebastian Coates, and Jeremiah St. Juste.
The above viz is a comparison between Ousmane Diomande and 21-year-old Sporting centre-back Goncalo Inacio. Both players outperform each other in some of the stats. While Inacio has a better rank in the possession department, Diomande fares superiorly in the defensive department and some of the attacking parameters, like goal contribution and dribbles.
Overall, Diomande is a player with great potential who can provide Sporting with additional support in defence. He is a fast player, capable with both feet, and has the time on his side to continue to develop into a world-class defender. He is greatly efficient at his duels and has the ability to guide the backline. Overall, Sporting will be pleased with the business they have done to bring the player on board.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
