Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Marseille and Senegal striker Bamba Dieng.
According to a report from La Provence, Olympique Marseille striker Bamba Dieng is attracting a lot of interest from the Premier League in the ongoing transfer window, with Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, and West Ham United keen on signing him.
Dieng joined Marseille in the summer of 2020 on a loan deal from Senegalese outfit Diambars FC. The 21-year-old featured six times for the first team and played four games for the B team in the 2020/21 campaign, but did enough to convince Marseille to sign him up permanently last summer.
This term, the young striker has fared slightly better, netting four goals and registering an assist in 14 Ligue 1 matches. Although those are not prolific numbers, Dieng has managed to impress onlookers with his potential, and clubs from England are now lining up to sign him as per the report.
Indeed, the likes of Crystal Palace, Newcastle and West Ham United are all monitoring the forward, who has four caps for the Senegalese national team and is currently participating in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Crystal Palace are in the market for a new striker despite spending big on Odsonne Edouard in the summer. The Eagles need more firepower in attack, considering that none of Wilfried Zaha, Christian Benteke or Jordan Ayew are a consistent source of goals. While they have been linked with Arsenal starlet Eddie Nketiah, Dieng, too has emerged as a transfer target for Patrick Vieira.
Newcastle United, meanwhile, need to bolster their attacking unit in light of the recent injury to Callum Wilson. The former Bournemouth star is the only reliable goalscorer on the books at St. James’ Park, with Dwight Gayle not favoured by manager Eddie Howe. As a result, a new No. 9 is very much on the agenda, with Nketiah being linked with the Tynesiders as well, while Dieng has also popped up on their radar.
There have previously been claims that the Magpies have already offered a sum of €18 million for the 21-year-old striker. However, the report clarifies that there have been no such offers made, even though Newcastle are interested in the forward. But they will need to stave off competition from West Ham United, who are also scouring the transfer market for a new centre-forward.
Michail Antonio, who recently signed a new contract, is the only out-and-out option in the No. 9 role at manager David Moyes’s disposal. With the Hammers in the running for a top-four spot and in the knockouts of the UEFA Europa League, they need to bring in a new striker to ensure they have adequate depth in the squad. Barcelona’s Martin Braithwaite has been touted as a target, with Dieng also an option being considered.
However, the report mentions that Dieng is happy at Marseille, while the Ligue 1 giants are also keen on keeping hold of him after handing him a new contract last month. A move to the Premier League appears to be unlikely in the ongoing transfer window.
