Pape Diakhate set to return to Saint-Etienne on loan – Ligue 1 news
Reports in France suggest that http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Senegal-c3001 International, Pape Diakhate, is set to return to Ligue 1 side, Saint-Etienne, for another loan spell.
The 26-year-old originally joined Saint-Etienne from Dynamo Kyiv on a six-month loan deal in January 2010. However, after his loan spell expired in January, the centre-back was farmed out to seven-time Ligue 1 champions, Olympique de Lyonnais. However, moving
back to Saint-Etienne might not go down too well with the fans of Saint-Etienne as the Senegalese international spent the second half of the 2010/11 Ligue 1 season with Olympique de Lyonnais, a club that shares a historic and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/France-c2899’s oldest footballing rivalry
with Saint-Etienne.
Furthermore, Diakhate never really impressed at any of the two clubs and was hardly indispensible during his stay at Stade Gerland. Rumours suggest that English Premier League side, Bolton Wanderers, are also monitoring Diakhate’s situation and are considering
making an offer for the 26-year-old defender. More surprising is the fact that though Dynamo Kyiv do not feel the player has a future with the outfit, they are still willing to loan him out rather than selling him to a club. Reports suggest that Olympique
de Lyonnais did consider securing the player’s services on a permanent basis but the offer was rejected by the Ukrainian club.
With his future getting increasingly uncertain, the former Nancy man will have to make a wise choice if he is to make a move to either of the aforementioned clubs. Since joining Dynamo Kyiv from Ligue 1 side Nancy in the summer of 2007, Diakhate has made
just 31 appearances for the Ukrainian giants. His time at Kyiv was cut short when he broke a collar bone in September 2007. Though the Dakar-born player recovered from the injury, he never really impressed and was thus farmed out to Saint-Etienne at the turn
of New Year.
Lyon coach, Claude Puel, was quick to snap up the player on loan earlier this year and though Diakhate turned out to be a decent defender for Les Gones, the jury is still out for the player and whether he goes to Lyon or Saint-Etienne, the 26-year-old has
a lot to prove next season.
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