Chelsea’s next superstar? BlueCo reject €25m bids for 20-year-old earmarked for the top

Robin Bairner

9 Mar 2024 15:40 CST
2 min read

Habib Diarra, Strasbourg, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

Chelsea have earmarked Strasbourg youngster Habib Diarra as a potentially special player for the future and have already turned down two €25 million bids for him.

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Diarra is a 20-year-old midfielder and is already in the Chelsea family as he turns out for the BlueCo-owned Ligue 1 outfit.

Last season was his breakout campaign as he mustered three goals and three assists across 29 Ligue 1 matches, while he has two goals and one decisive pass in this campaign.

L’Equipe reports that BlueCo see him as a potential superstar in the making and that two bids of €25 million were rejected from Lens and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the end of the summer transfer window.

This has been a major boost to head coach Patrick Vieira, who has used Diarra in every position across the midfield this season.

Chelsea’s investors also moved to extend Diarra’s contract in the summer, with his new deal running until 2028 – further proof of their confidence in him.

Indeed, while Blue Co have been under attack in Strasbourg for their ownership of the club, rejecting two €25m bids for a player like Diarra would have been unthinkable under their previous ownership.

Habib Diarra’s strengths and weaknesses

Diarra is a very physically gifted player, with great athleticism and endurance. His versatility is also a major asset.

Furthermore, Vieira has previously praised his young star’s attitude, stating that “he is always hard working and demanding of himself”.

On the other hand, the former France midfielder wants Diarra to have a cooler head in front of goal and to boost the number of decisive actions he makes.

This is something that the player himself admits that he needs to polish.

“It gives me confidence to impose myself and break the lines, and this is something I need to improve on even more, like my final pass and scoring.”