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Liverpool complete £5m Diao swoop
Monday 27th May 2002
Liverpool have completed the signing of Senegal midfielder Salif Diao for a fee of £5 million. The former Sedan star was a key player as Senegal reached the final of the African Nations Cup in Mali in February.
Diao had already signed a pre-contract deal with the Reds, and the deal has been finalised after the re-opening of the French transfer window, according to L'Equipe.
After choosing not to pursue their interest in forward Nicolas Anelka, Liverpool have also been linked with Diao's international colleague El Hadji Diouf, and their intetrest in Senegal's rising stars comes as no surprise to national coach Bruno Metsu.
"People are getting to know El Hadji Diouf and he's a great talent about whom people will be talking after the World Cup," he said last week, "but we have other great players, like Salif Diao and Ferdinand Coly, who might not be playing in France for much longer."
Having won the French title with Monaco in 2000, Diao may have felt best days were already behind him. Barely into his mid-20s, his participation in that title-winning side represented the pinnacle of Diao's three-season stint at Monaco, although he barely made a first-team appearance all season.
Having started off as fairly regular member of the Monaco side after arriving from second division Epinal in December 1997, Diao's first-team opportunities gradually dwindled and it was something of a relief when Sedan signed him at the start of the 2000-01 season.
While the small top-flight side from the Ardennes region of France marked something of a comedown from the bright lights of Monaco, Diao settled well at Sedan and quickly became a regular member of the first-team squad. That also allowed him to get the match practice necessary to convince Metsu of his value.
Despite having lived in France since he was 17, Diao remains proud of his Senegalese background, and he was to have a surprisingly important role to play in his country's progress to the final of the 2002 African Nations Cup in Mali.
Not exactly famous for his goalscoring record - he had never scored a goal in six seasons in a French league game - Diao nonetheless scored two of the most important goals of Senegal's campaign.
The first, a glancing header, gave Senegal confidence as they took a 1-0 lead against DR Congo in the quarter-finals. The second, a miscued scuff in extra-time against Nigeria, took them to the final.
Monday 27th May 2002
Liverpool have completed the signing of Senegal midfielder Salif Diao for a fee of £5 million. The former Sedan star was a key player as Senegal reached the final of the African Nations Cup in Mali in February.
Diao had already signed a pre-contract deal with the Reds, and the deal has been finalised after the re-opening of the French transfer window, according to L'Equipe.
After choosing not to pursue their interest in forward Nicolas Anelka, Liverpool have also been linked with Diao's international colleague El Hadji Diouf, and their intetrest in Senegal's rising stars comes as no surprise to national coach Bruno Metsu.
"People are getting to know El Hadji Diouf and he's a great talent about whom people will be talking after the World Cup," he said last week, "but we have other great players, like Salif Diao and Ferdinand Coly, who might not be playing in France for much longer."
Having won the French title with Monaco in 2000, Diao may have felt best days were already behind him. Barely into his mid-20s, his participation in that title-winning side represented the pinnacle of Diao's three-season stint at Monaco, although he barely made a first-team appearance all season.
Having started off as fairly regular member of the Monaco side after arriving from second division Epinal in December 1997, Diao's first-team opportunities gradually dwindled and it was something of a relief when Sedan signed him at the start of the 2000-01 season.
While the small top-flight side from the Ardennes region of France marked something of a comedown from the bright lights of Monaco, Diao settled well at Sedan and quickly became a regular member of the first-team squad. That also allowed him to get the match practice necessary to convince Metsu of his value.
Despite having lived in France since he was 17, Diao remains proud of his Senegalese background, and he was to have a surprisingly important role to play in his country's progress to the final of the 2002 African Nations Cup in Mali.
Not exactly famous for his goalscoring record - he had never scored a goal in six seasons in a French league game - Diao nonetheless scored two of the most important goals of Senegal's campaign.
The first, a glancing header, gave Senegal confidence as they took a 1-0 lead against DR Congo in the quarter-finals. The second, a miscued scuff in extra-time against Nigeria, took them to the final.