Barcelona’s latest youth signing earns huge praise – ‘Reminds me of Rivaldo or Lamine’

Despite it being an open secret for a while, Barcelona only officially confirmed the signing of young African talent Ibrahim Diarra for the reserve team earlier this month.

The youngster, who made headlines after his stunning campaign with Mali in the Under-17 World Cup, recently turned 18 and Barcelona immediately pounced on the chance to make his arrival official and secure his future.

After all, he is widely seen as one of Africa’s brightest talents in recent years and is seen to have great potential as a forward.

Diarra’s coach speaks to the media

Speaking to the media (h/t SPORT), Mali U-20 international team coach Soumaila Coulibaly shared his thoughts on Barcelona’s new signing and the potential he saw in the youngster.

He began by describing Diarra’s profile and breaking down what the Catalans can expect from the player.

“He has a classic profile of Barça footballer for a long time. Left-footed, powerful, with good one-on-one and moves very well between lines, between the defence and breaks the game when the opponent is compact,” he began.

“In addition, he is decisive when it comes to stepping up when needed,” he added.

The manager was then asked what he thought of Diarra when he saw him for the first time, to which he said,

“The first time I saw him was when he came with the selection in the cadet category. I told everyone that he would be the one who was going to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.”

“You can ask his former president or the others who were present, only I believed in him,” he added.

Speaking on what the attacker must develop in order to be prepared for a team like Barcelona, Coulibaly said,

“He is very good, but logically he still has to develop in all facets of the game. I think that arriving at Barça now is the best news for him, because of his age and his ability to grow and develop his potential.”

Despite admitting that Diarra had a long way to go, his international manager refused to rule out the possibility of a debut under Hansi Flick this season.

“It’s possible, I think that a debut could take place. If he is physically well, he will be able to prove many things and Flick is sure to be attentive.”

Having detailed the youngster’s profile, the manager was asked to compare him to a player from the past or present, to which he said,

“He reminds me of Rivaldo or Lamine Yamal. Left-footed with similar characteristics. But he must make his way, of course.”

“For me, he is the greatest talent in Mali right now, without a doubt,” he added.

Finally, he gave his verdict on whether the forward had what it takes to succeed at Barcelona.

“Yes, although for this you must work hard and above all believe in yourself, have faith and confidence. It has the quality for it.”