Age: 28
Nationality: French
Position: Central Midfield
Squad no. 24
Height: 6ft 3
Interesting Fact: Diaby’s father was a long-distance truck driver.
Abou Diaby is a name that conjures up feelings of both excitement and disappointment. The 28-year-old is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the Premier League. Much like Yaya Touré, Diaby is capable of travelling the length of the pitch with ease. His long, powerful legs allow him manoeuvre himself around the field of play in an effortless fashion. He has the strength to bully players off the ball and the technique to flick it past them in the blink of an eye. This makes the fact he rarely plays all the more disappointing.
Diaby has struggled through a ridiculous number of injuries since joining Arsenal in 2006. In the past three seasons, Abou has only managed to make 21 appearances in all competitions. It is this sense of wasted potential that causes disappointment to creep into the minds of many fans whenever they hear the Frenchman’s name. His misfortune is a great shame, for when he does manage to step onto the pitch, magical things happen.
Abou’s style of play is both unique and effective. Although his physique puts him in the category of ‘defensive midfielder’, the reality is very different. Diaby is as technically gifted as the likes of Santi Cazorla and Mesut Özil. The 28-year-old loves to run at players and twist and turn his way past them; using his body to shield the ball as he dances in circles, searching for an escape route. His weight of pass is excellent, and his awareness of what is going on around him is also very good – Abou is more than capable of threading the ball through tiny gaps in the opposition’s back four. When the Frenchman finds himself on the edge of his opponents’ box, he likes to create himself some space before unleashing a powerful shot in an attempt to test the keeper.
The ex-Auxerre man has the ability to score, create and battle in midfield. He is the kind of player Arsenal missed last season. Hopefully he’ll be able to fulfil his potential one day.
How much will he play?
Not very often. Diaby struggled for fitness throughout pre-season, and as a result, he hasn’t been able to make a single appearance so far this campaign. The Frenchman still frequently picks up niggling injuries which tend to worsen as time goes on – forcing the player to miss large chunks of the season. Arsenal’s new fitness coach, Shad Forsythe, might be able to help Diaby to some extent, but it is hard to envisage the midfielder staying fit for a whole season considering how much football he has missed over the past few years.
There is a chance Abou could get himself match-fit, forcing his way into the team and staying there due to strong performances. Unfortunately, the chances of that happening don’t look too good.
How well will he do?
If he manages to stay fit, there is nothing Diaby can’t do. The player is very capable of becoming one of the best box-to-box midfielders in Europe; such is his quality and determination while on the football pitch. His technique is well above the standard of those who fill his role in the sides of our Premier League rivals, and his strength and physical presence is enough to bully the majority of players we’ll face this season.
Sadly, when you talk about how well Diaby will perform, you are doing so on the basis of guesswork and chance. There is no way of knowing whether or not the 28-year-old will get the game-time he needs in order to reach the lofty standards we all know he can. Here’s hoping this is the season he becomes the player we all know he can be.
Read: Report cards for the whole Arsenal squad
Pace: 7/10
Dribbling: 8/10
Ball control: 7/10
Passing: 7/10
Strength: 7/10
Tackling: 6/10
Current value: £1.5 million
Potential value: £20 million
Overall Rating: 6/10