Ousmane Diao has opened up on his desire to play alongside Liverpool star Hugo Ekitike in the future, having waxed lyrical about the striker through his comments.
FC Midtjylland defender is not a player that Liverpool or any top teams are considering at the moment. However, he has had a good period with the Danish side in recent times, but there are questions about whether that warrants a big move to a club like Liverpool.
In any case, the Senegalese defender was on the radar of a few teams earlier in the year; the summer window never really saw credible links for a move away from FC Midtjylland. However, Diao continues to harbour hopes for the future, and to his credit, he still has a long time left in his career to make a big mark.
The defender spoke to Foot Mercato at length, and there were some bits about his desire to play with certain players. The defender opened up on his wish to play with Liverpool star Hugo Ekitike, as he stated that the forward impressed him when FC Midtjylland played Eintracht Frankfurt last season.
Diao said, “Last year, against Frankfurt, there were a lot of good players like Ekitiké, Marmoush, etc. But Hugo Ekitiké was particularly difficult. Honestly, I would like to play with him in the future (laughs). His movement is incredible. He’s fast, technical… he’s very strong!”
Those comments are unlikely to have Liverpool spring into action and make their move for the defender. The Reds are in the market for a new defender ahead of the January window, and they have considered top draw players like Marc Guehi, although there are no guarantees they will land the Crystal Palace star amid increased competition for the England international centre-back.
Meanwhile, they are also in the market for a young defensive profile despite the summer arrival of Giovanni Leoni. The Italian was unfortunate enough to suffer an ACL rupture on his full debut in the Carabao Cup, which will sideline him for most of the current season.
Dynamo Kyiv’s Taras Mykhavko is a player they are keen on, and he could be one of the young profiles that fit into their criteria. However, in the case of Diao, they are not currently interested, but that does not negate a future approach for the player, who harbours hopes to play alongside their striker Ekitike.