The Championship is often seen as a gold mine for talent to get snatched up by Premier League clubs. The latest player to make the transfer up could be QPR goalkeeper Seny Dieng.
QPR manager Mark Warburton certainly believes he has the ability to step up, claiming the shot stopper has “all the highest attributes to go to the very highest level.” Dieng is only 26 which is still young for a goalkeeper so he has plenty of time to reach the heights his manager believes he can.
Dieng is a commanding presence in the goal, with Warburton praising his confidence “the way he came for balls he was very confident, showed good handling and there’s no doubt that is reassuring for the defensive side of the team.” Having a comforting man between the sticks is calming for defenders and this has to be the foundation for QPR’s recent good form.
QPR fans were worried about being dragged into a relegation battle before winning 5 of their last 7 games to climb up to a steady 17th place, 11 points above the drop. However, playoffs look a long way off and Warburton is readying himself for the loss of his star keeper “We have Dillon Barnes also out on loan at the moment and he is a talented goalkeeper. We also signed young Joe Walsh, who is only 18, from Gillingham” so it’s clear that they have plans in place should Leeds or Arsenal swoop in for the Swiss keeper. “You have to have a succession line going through.”
Dieng could be of use to both Leeds and Arsenal. For Leeds, Ilian Meslier has today turned just 21 years old so some competition would be beneficial to his development with Kiko Casilla not impressing when he’s featured. Arsenal signed Maty Ryan on loan from Brighton in January as backup for Bernd Leno but will be looking for a more long term option in the summer.
Leicester City are also reportedly interested in Dieng as a possible backup option for Kasper Schmeichel, or even potentially a successor for the Danish keeper in the long term future.
