Who is Assane Diao? The Real Betis winger chased by Brighton, Brentford

18-year-old winger Assane Diao is of high interest for both Brighton and Brentford. Brentford previously made a bid to sign him before and it’s no surprise why; this kid is special.

Diao is a versatile attacker who can play anywhere across the front line. For the first team he plays on either the right or left wing but at youth level he also operated as a striker and it’s obvious in his style.

When in the box, Diao has the instincts of a striker. To turn sharply in the box, shooting at the slightest opening of space, good at anticipating contact from behind, composure in front of goal, decent finishing ability on both feet and good back to goal play. When the ball falls to him in the box, he has that natural instinct to just hit it first time, accurately.

However, since Diao has played in the first team, his associative play has really stood out. Cutting inside from out wide to link up with the players in more central areas and combining with overlapping team-mates.

Diao has an intelligence when combining with others that is rare at his young age, especially when it comes to his decision making. He is the type of winger who judges the right time to take players on, when to go inside or outside, when to shoot and when to pass.

One standout characteristic with Diao is his physical stature compared to a typical winger. Diao is 6ft1in, which is much taller than you’d expect for a winger to be, but it brings its advantages.

Diao’s long legs make him a transitional threat with a much greater top speed when running longer distances. This height also gives him a huge advantage in aerial duels against full backs as they’re usually smaller too.

But it’s not just height, it’s the fact he’s physically mature and able to ride challenges so well which makes him a unique threat from wide. Being good in the air and physical really helps Diao to score headers for Betis as he can arrive at the back post and win the aerial duel vs the full back.

Assane Diao a great all-round attacker

Diao’s shooting is also impressive. The volume of shots he gets off needs increasing a lot but he’s shown excellent ball-striking ability on his weaker left foot both from distance and in the box. This trait really helps to make him a better all-rounder in attack as he can go inside or outside onto either foot then shoot to good effect, making it harder to predict what he’s going to do.

This level of uncertainty makes defenders struggle to anticipate a players’ next move, creating an easier opportunity to successfully get a shot off and whichever side a defender shows him onto it doesn’t reduce the likelihood of the shot being a better one.

Diao’s weak foot ability extends to his dribbling too, in particular, his 1v1 ability. Diao loves to run with the ball and loves to take on players. The flair and improvisation to pull off flicks and tricks to beat players but also the hunger to constantly get past them and get into more advanced areas.

Diao uses his pace to drive down the line to get to the byline and cut the ball back into the box to someone in space. But his 1v1 ability also helps him to take on players and cut inside to shoot too on whichever wing he’s playing on.

With a rapid burst of speed, the teenager is off and away. When there’s space in behind, he’s such a threat as he can easily pull away from defenders. With some development, over time Diao could become a seriously talented winger or even striker.

TEAMtalk revealed earlier on Wednesday that Brighton and Brentford are two clubs interested in signing the La Liga talent in the summer.

He’s a player who, at 18, has a high sell-on value as there’s plenty of room for growth. Diao’s high ceiling isn’t to be underestimated and he’d certainly be a good pick up for either side, where he’d get plenty of opportunity to develop now.

Brentford

Brentford previously bid for the Spanish winger last summer, but Real Betis rejected the offers from the Bees.

Brentford, over recent years, have played a 5-3-2 or 5-2-3 formation under manager Thomas Frank. In these set-ups, Brentford have opted to play target man Ivan Toney alongside an inside forward turned striker in Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo or Kevin Schade. Or they’ll play two of these as wingers in the 5-2-3.

Similarly to Wissa, Mbeumo and Schade, Diao is someone who can play as a winger on both side and as a striker. Playing off a target man like Toney would mean he’d have constant service in behind the defence to run off Toney’s (or summer signing Igor Thiago) flick-ons.

Brighton

Brighton, like Brentford, are known for their savvy recruitment and talent ID. Spotting some top talent around the world and giving them a platform to develop into much better players then sell them on for a big profit.

Diao is someone who would suit their model well because he’s someone with a high ceiling who could play for one of the elite clubs, but at the same time, also needs a bit more time to develop first.

If Brighton were to successfully secure his signature, then they’d later reap the rewards. Under manager Roberto De Zerbi, Brighton have set up in a 4-2-3-1 where they play a lone striker with a  No 10 and two wingers. In this set-up, Diao suits the wingers they tend to use such as Kaoru Mitoma and Simon Adingra, who are so good in 1v1s to beat players and drive to the byline or cut inside to shoot.

Diao could be utilised out there. But also, looking in the striker position, there’s Danny Welbeck who is now 33, Joao Pedro who has been consistent but also been played as a No 10 or wide and there’s Evan Ferguson too who has struggled with ongoing injury issues. A winger/striker hybrid like Diao would provide cover for the centre-forward position whilst also being a solid wing option.