Who is Ibrahima Bamba? The Vitoria wonderkid Arsenal are targeting

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 27 Jan 2023 09:34 GMT
• 3 min read

Ibrahima Bamba has only come to the forefront of attention this window.

The youngster is just halfway through his first full season with Primeira Liga’s Vitoria de Guimarães but has been a standout player for the side.

And Bamba’s displays have been attracting attention from some of the biggest clubs across Europe - including Arsenal.

READ MORE: Arsenal get major Zubimendi boost as Barcelona turn to alternative

His agent was spotted in London earlier this week, further generating speculation, but the representative played down that any move for Bamba was imminent.

“It is true that I was in London. But I'm just arriving from Germany, where I was watching Tapsoba’s game [for Bayer Leverkusen],” he said. “Bamba is not the only player I work with. [Bamba] is a player who is clearly of interest to many clubs.

Mikel Arteta admitted that his side may have to look to the market in this window following the injury of Mohamed Elneny. Arsenal need cover for Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka as a result of the Eygptian’s absence and Bamba would represent a relatively cheap option, with the 20-year-old having a release clause of €30m at Vitoria.

Bamba, who can play for either Italy or the Ivory Coast national sides, operates as a defensive midfielder.

Highly intelligent, Bamba is something of a libero, going into the No.6 role when his team are in possession and as a fill-in centre-back when without it.

Bamba is a capable ball-winner and can force turnovers for his side in abundance. Despite not being the most physically dominant player, he uses his agility and brilliant use of timing to get his foot in tricky spots and claw back the ball. He has a real knack for successfully tackling attackers looking to bring the ball forward, winning a high volume of 1v1s. In fact, his dribblers tackled ranking is in the top 99 percentile.

His ball-winning is his greatest strength - he is in the top 90 percentile for ball recoveries for centre-backs, making 6.77 per 90. He is also in the top 98 percentile for tackles and interceptions combined, with 4.56 made per 90.

Bamba has good press resistance and is able to remain composed on the ball when being charged at - while he can shield well and make simple layoffs to team-mates.

Ibrahima Bamba is still raw

But the youngster still does not have an expansive passing range and this will be of concern for a club like Arsenal looking for somewhat of a quick fix. It is an aspect of his game that will need to be addressed - as well as his ball-carrying ability.

It is still early days for Bamba, and it’s just astute defensive prowess that has really caught the attention of the likes of Arsenal.

Though a move this window has been suggested perhaps the player would need another season yet playing in the first-team at Vitoria before he is truly ready.