Stoke and Swansea Tracking Malian International With Champions League Experience

EFL Duo Line Up Move for Europa League Starlet

EFL clubs are no strangers to looking outside of their domestic surroundings for the right player - if the search is deemed viable, they can venture as far as the Americas or Oceania if they see a player that could genuinely help their side progress.

However, actively tracking players operating at the continental football level is a different matter entirely - the reason being that players competing in UEFA competitions, i.e., the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, won’t want to leave the upper echelons of European football to compete in a league that is not the best of the best.

However, this is the unusual situation hanging over RB Salzburg midfielder Mamady Diambou, as in the last 24 hours, Championship sides Stoke City and Swansea City have shown an interest in the 23-year-old.

Championship duo Stoke City and Swansea City are reportedly set to battle for RB Salzburg midfielder Mamady Diambou.

Source: Africa Foot

🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/cuC0fzeBas

— We are Stoke (@weare_stoke) December 17, 2025

Who is Mamady Diambou?

Of Malian nationality, Diambou has spent his entire professional career in the top two divisions of Austria, first plying his trade for FC Liefering in the second tier before earning himself a move to RB-owned side Salzburg, for whom he has played 78 games since joining in 2021.

Prior to this, he made his name in his home country of Mali at Guidars FC, a club which in recent times has become something of a feeder club for RB Salzburg - prior to Diambou, the Austrian side had also signed Soumaila Diabate, Daouda Guindo, Moussa Yeo, Dorgeles Nene and Gaoussou Diakite from the African outfit.

RB Salzburg have signed Soumaïla Diabaté, Mamady Diambou, Gaoussou Diakité, Daouda Guindo, Dorgeles Nene and Moussa Yeo from Guidars FC.

Guessing most of you are aware Vivell worked for Salzburg and Leipzig.

This is his first signing then… pic.twitter.com/znpah8PDak

— luca🔰 (@luca_rapi) August 22, 2024

A holding midfielder by trade, he has just four career goals to his name, and only one for Salzburg, but attacking output is never the first thing managers look for when analysing a potential defensive midfield reinforcement.

Though not the first name on the teamsheet, Diambou makes his way onto the pitch more often than not, whether it be in the starting eleven or via a bench cameo, and, despite playing just 359 minutes in the Austrian Bundesliga this campaign, his stats speak for themselves.

He boasts a 92.1% passing success rate, putting him in the 100th percentile for that metric, and has completed 100% of his dribbles this season, once again putting him at the top of that particular leaderboard.

He also ranks in the 100th percentile for both duels won (66.7%) and possession won in the final third per 90 (1.0), showcasing the level at which he is operating despite being low down in the Salzburg pecking order.

Mamady Diambou can hit them well 🚀🇲🇱 pic.twitter.com/MT3uFS7KMG

— FC Red Bull Salzburg EN (@FCRBS_en) July 28, 2024

He has also made a solitary Europa League appearance in Salzburg’s clash with Lyon - though the Austrian side lost 2-0, Diambou came out of the game with plenty of credit. It shouldn’t have come as any surprise; last season, he played in every possible Champions League game for the club as they bowed out in the play-off round.

Will He Be A Good Fit for the Championship?

Aged 23, Diambou can no longer be considered a young prospect; he is at the age now where he will be starting to crave regular football, and despite earning increasing minutes at Salzburg, he still has not been given that guaranteed starting spot.

With this in mind, it seems sensible to at least consider a move away from Austria - transferring to the Championship offers the opportunity to grow significantly as a player, and should he make a good impression, a starting spot in a second-tier side could be his for the taking.

It is easy to see why both Stoke and Swansea are after him - the Potters have lost five of their last seven games, and are looking to bring defensive reinforcements in before their leaky defence spirals out of control, while Swansea require a little bit of extra stability, something highlighted by their four-point proximity to the relegation zone.

🇲🇱 OFFICIAL: Mamady Diambou has extended his contract with us until 2028!

Well deserved, congrats Mamady! pic.twitter.com/2TYGOexzBu

— FC Red Bull Salzburg EN (@FCRBS_en) September 15, 2024

Despite his lack of experience in the top five leagues, Austria has produced some outstanding talents in English and European football in recent years - think of Erling Haaland, Benjamin Sesko, Tyler Adams and Dominik Szoboszlai - and while we are not saying Diambou is anywhere near players of this quality, we can at least argue that Austrian Premiership players have an excellent record of adapting to English football.

With the January transfer window still two weeks away, there is still more than enough time for further outfits to register their interest in Diambou - with Stoke and Swansea’s battle now in the public domain, other clubs will have been made aware of the Malian’s qualities, so don’t be surprised if a two-horse race quickly grows into something more.

Importantly, Everton and West Ham were rumoured to be showing interest in the midfielder last month, indicating that his qualities would not just be suited to the Championship. If one of the second-tier outfits is to get their hands on him, they will need to move quickly.