Krépin Diatta, the spirit of the Teranga Lions
At only 21 years old, he was already one of the key players in Bleu et Noir for Club Brugge, the defending champion of Belgium. Regularly used on the right wing, he can also play on the left flank, combining speed, technique, and finishing abiloty. With no less than 10 goals (and 2 assists) in only 19 matches for his former team this season, Krépin Diatta has thus proved that he is a decisive player.
He’s played twice against the Red and Whites
His performances have partly allowed his club to once again top the Belgian league his side being currently nine points ahead of the current second-placed side. He even had the chance to experience the joy of the Champions League again a few weeks ago, as his side finished third in a very competitive group with Borussia Dortmund, Lazio and Zénit Saint-Pétersburg. It’s competition he had first discovered in the fall of 2018… against AS Monaco, making two brief appearances. He currently has 18 European games to his credit, including 15 in the Champions League.
He moved to Europe… Norway!
But before becoming a great hope in Europe, the Dakar native started his career in his native country, Senegal. Very quickly spotted for his explosiveness and dribbling qualities, he joined the Oslo Football Academy in the country’s capital. It is therefore logical that he would then make the big leap to the Old Continent to continue his training in Norway. He thus joined Sarpsborg 08 in the Norwegian top flight in 2017 where he again stood out for his play.
In just 27 matches, in all competitions, he has scored eight times and provided eight assists. It was then that Club Brugge recruited the young Senegalese. Ever precocious, he quickly puts everyone in agreement, his talents as a dribbler and finisher being undeniable. His performance even opened the door to the Senegalese national team. He would wear the jersey of the Teranga Lions for the first time against Tanzania in June 2019, in which he would be named man of the match.
Sadio Mané as a role model
He would be ever-present in the team led by Aliou Cissé, who believed in his talents, as he called him up three weeks later for the Cup of Africa Nations where he would play every match, until the final against Algeria. He would also be named the competition’s best young player despite the win by Riyad Mahrez and his teammates. A teammate of his glorious compatriot for his country, Sadio Mané, Krépin will now play in a league where the winner of the 2019 Champions League and the 2020 Premier League made his talent known.
A former FC Metz player, Liverpool’s number 10 began his career in garnet. An idol in his country, the Reds’ winger is necessarily a source of inspiration for his young compatriot, with whom we can see some similarities in their style of play. Krépin Diatta comes to Ligue 1 to take an additional step in his career, even if he already has already played a hundred professional matches.
👋 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙆𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣 𝘿𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖 🇲🇨
𝙻𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚞 𝚜𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚎 👌#WelcomeKrepin pic.twitter.com/NIWnouUMO6— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) January 21, 2021
Strong support for the Red and Whites’ attack
He had plenty of solid experience at Club Brugge in particular, where he has started regularly over the past two years, after gaining momentum in the year of that first title, 2017-2018. Skillful on the ball, this striker has a multivalent style of play — his acceleration, technical ability and pace make him an elusive and difficult player for defenders to read.
He is also very comfortable with both feet, and has a shot that has allowed him to score on many occasions from outside the opponent’s area. He will therefore be an undeniable asset in support of, in particular Wissam Ben Yedder and Kevin Volland, bringing an additional offensive weapon to AS Monaco.
Welcome Krépin!
