Napoli & Guinea, Defensive Midfielder
Signed from Bologna in the summer of 2016, Amadou Diawara has begun making a name for himself in Serie A in the two seasons he has spent playing for Maurizio Sarri’s swashbuckling Napoli side. He has rotated with Jorginho in the holding midfield position of Napoli’s 4-3-3 and has proven to be strong competition for the Italian.
Diawara’s unique combination of attributes make him very well suited to the defensive midfield position. His acceleration and aggression help him to quickly press and close down opponents in midfield, denying them time and space to play. He combines this with physical strength, well timed tackles and a strong positional sense that allows him to block space in front of his defence and intercept passes. Diawara’s defensive capabilities have lead Sarri to favour him over Jorginho in Champions League games, particularly away ones, where the tempo is faster than in Serie A.
However it is Diawara’s quality in possession that makes him a special talent. He possesses a maturity and composure on the ball that is rarely seen in players his age and that maturity has lead Sarri to trust Diawara to start multiple big games including one against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu. Comfortable under pressure, Diawara is able to receive the ball with opponents in close proximity and evade challenges with little feints and tricks, taking players out of the game and freeing up the attacking players ahead of him. He is also an accomplished passer of the ball which enables him to slot seamlessly into Napoli’s possession style of play. He has the vision to thread passes through opposition lines into the feet of the attackers as well as the technique to play longer passes over the defence to send his teammates through on goal. Despite his tender age Diawara is trusted to play at the heart of Napoli’s midfield, that is testament to both his talent and his temperament.
With Jorginho rumoured to be on his way to Man City Diawara has the quality to make the holding midfield position his own. Will he be given the chance by new manager Carlo Ancelotti?
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