Leeds United dodged a serious bullet after what Habib Diarra has done at Sunderland
Habib Diarra was a target for Leeds United in the summer window.
Prior to Leeds’ 3-1 victory against Wolves, a lot of the focus remained on the summer transfer window, though not for the right reasons.
The Whites missed out on several targets over the course, including Diarra, who went on to join Sunderland for a club-record fee from Strasbourg.
At the time, it seemed like a big error from Leeds, but after the latest update from Wearside, their decision can be justified.
Habib Diarra may not play for Sunderland again this year
Sunderland got the better of Leeds in the transfer window, and most of the reason comes down to PSR.
That will have had a part to play in Leeds not signing Diarra, though the main reason was that they weren’t willing to match the price that Sunderland had set out for the midfielder.
Diarra’s stats in the Premier League this season
- 1 chance created
- 6 duels won
- 82.3% pass accuracy
- 93 completed passes
- 11 touches in the opposition box
Instead, Leeds signed Anton Stach, who has impressed, and that is an even better decision now after it was revealed that Diarra will be injured until December after undergoing surgery on a groin issue.
Not only that, but he remains likely to jet off to AFCON in December to represent Senegal, meaning he may not feature again until 2026.
Had Leeds paid £30million for him in the summer, hindsight may have proved it to be the wrong decision at Elland Road.
Have Leeds got the better midfielder with Anton Stach?
It’s very early days to make a judgment like that, but based on the price paid and the impact after six games, the fair answer would be yes.
Diarra has been excellent for the Black Cats, but has yet to register a goal contribution, while Stach has two for the Whites.
The German excels in both areas of the pitch, but given his extra personality, he is looking as though he could prove to be the better buy, though that will ultimately be determined by who has the bigger impact come the end of the season.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Leeds United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @motleedsnews