Sheffield Wednesday are on the verge of signing Portimonense midfielder Momo Diaby, as per a report from Record (via Sport Witness).
Sheffield Wednesday are in the market for more new recruits before the end of the month and Xisco Munoz looks to build a side capable of kicking on and staying up in the Championship.
Midfield is an area the Owls will be looking to bolster and now, it has been claimed a deal for 26-year-old Diaby is on the cards.
Portuguese outlet Record has said that the Frenchman is poised to join on a loan-to-buy deal from Liga Portugal side Portimonense. Diaby, the younger brother of ex-Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby, has been with the club since last year, playing 30 times for the club since then.
Diaby operates almost solely as a defensive midfielder, though he has been deployed slightly further forward as a no.8 at times. It seems the deal is close to completion, providing a welcome boost for manager Munoz.
Physicality in the middle
Standing at 197cm tall, Diaby will be a real presence in the middle of the park in terms of physicality. That should give more of a powerful edge to Munoz’s engine room alongside more diminutive players like Barry Bannan. Hopefully it’ll make him helpful from set pieces too, getting on the end of crosses.
Diaby has spent his entire senior career in Portugal so he comes from a good level over to the Championship.
A loan-to-buy deal makes for a low risk signing too, so if he doesn’t perform as hoped, Wednesday won’t have to worry about selling him on again, they can simply just opt against the buy option. It will be intriguing to see how he fares on these shores if the move does go through but at that height, he should be well equipped for the physicality of second-tier football.
