Leeds United could have been handed a big second chance to sign an old target of theirs...
What’s the word?
That's according to journalist Saber Desfarges (via Sport Witness), who claimed that Senegalese striker Bamba Dieng has recently failed his medical in a proposed switch from Marseille to FC Lorient.
Having chased his signature all throughout the summer, the 22-year-old instead opted to join OGC Nice where he would fail yet another medical, thus curtailing the deal.
With Victor Orta reportedly attempting a late bid to sign Dieng earlier this week to once again swoop in, this news could spur the Whites to push a little harder to secure the man who they saw a €10m (£9m) summer bid accepted for.
Keep them up
As is often the way in the Premier League, if you are scoring goals with little emphasis on defending, you are in a far better position to win games than if you are struggling in front of goal but solid at the back.
This is no better emphasised than with the Yorkshire outfit, who despite conceding 33 goals in just 19 league games still sit above the likes of Everton, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers purely due to their 26 goals scored.
It may be a risky tactic, but to add further firepower is to offer another player who is capable of scoring those necessary goals to avoid the drop. Not to mention that Dieng is a fairly lethal asset in his own right, as was outlined by BBC pundit Stephen Warnock at the World Cup who lauded his "clinical finish" against Qatar.
Whilst he has struggled somewhat this season, it was his exploits in the campaign prior that led him to be such a sought-after commodity.
Having recorded ten goal contributions in Ligue 1, his work rate and relentlessness outlined him as someone who could acclimatise to English football with relative ease. When ranked against other strikers in Europe, he sat in the top 8% for total shots but also the top 2% for tackles per 90.
This, combined with the claims of former Liverpool marksman El-Hadji Diouf, only serve to outline why he would likely be a good fit at Elland Road.
"He is an attacker, a Didier Drogba. All he knows how to do is score goals," before stating that: "The Senegal team, too, may have found their great striker. All I have to say is that he keeps his head on his shoulders, that he continues to work."
Diouf would continue: "He has qualities that we see on a daily basis, to play in spaces. We chose him for his explosiveness and his ability to hurt the opponent's back. He has great potential."
With the work rate and lethality to match, Dieng has all the attributes to be a huge success and the catalyst towards truly ensuring Leeds' continued presence in the English top flight.