Less than a year ago, Mouctar Diakhaby looked certain to leave Valencia.
After joining the club for a sizable fee, the defender had struggled pretty seriously throughout his time in Spain. In his defence, he wasn’t the only one at Valencia playing below his level. According to Marca, the club made attempts to sell him last summer, without finding any real interest.
This year, with a Pep Bordalas in charge, the whole team has found some solidity and stability, and Diakhaby has finally started showing what Los Ches paid all that money for.
Unfortunately for them, he’s now just over a year away from the end of his contract. The power is now with the Frenchman, who can decide to reward Valencia’s loyalty by signing a new deal, or can walk away to a big contract elsewhere next summer.
So, from an outcast they couldn’t sell to a player they might end up frustrated to lose on a free – it’s funny how quickly things can turn around in football.
