Soccer
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique could be the ideal boss for Yan Diomande to work under, so says Gervinho.
Diomande has been a star for Ivory Coast at the World Cup, and only three players – Mohamed Salah (11), Achraf Hakimi (11) and Leandro Trossard (13) – have created more chances than the winger across the group stage (10).
The 19-year-old also became only the second African player on record (from 1966) to complete 10+ dribbles (10) and create 10+ chances (10) in a single World Cup group stage, after South Africa’s Quinton Fortune in 2002. In fact, he was the first player to do so for any nation in the groups alone since Neymar in 2018.
He enjoyed a stellar season for RB Leipzig, and is reportedly keen to join European champions PSG, rather than Liverpool, who were credited with a strong interest.
While Leipzig are eager to keep hold of Diomande, former Ivory Coast forward Gervinho believes playing under Luis Enrique, who is happy to develop younger players, would be a great next step for his compatriot.
“I won’t base my opinion on what the press says when it comes to his final choice,” Gervinho told Stats Perform.
“Until we see him wearing the official shirt of a club, we can’t really say anything.
“But if it is Paris, I think with the coach they have, Luis Enrique, who I believe brings out the best in young players, then if that’s the choice he has made, I think he has all the arguments on the table to choose his club, whichever club he goes to.
“We will always be there watching him and supporting him, because he will be the one to carry the Ivory Coast team into the future.”
Diomande leads the way for Ivory Coast at the World Cup for open-play shot-ending sequence involvements, with 16.
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