Lincoln City have been linked with an ambitious move for Ivory Coast international striker Oumar Diakité.
The 22-year-old is reportedly close to joining the Imps in a deal worth around €3 million, approximately £2.6 million, according to a claim emerging from French-speaking football account Mathilda Foot.
The report states: “Oumar Diakité to England? The Ivorian striker is reportedly close to joining Lincoln City FC in the Championship for around €3 million.”
🔴 Oumar Diakité vers l’Angleterre 🇬🇧 ?
L’attaquant ivoirien serait proche de rejoindre Lincoln City FC en Championship pour environ 3 millions d’euros. pic.twitter.com/lyKhccxllI
— mathildafoot (@mathilda_kouame) July 17, 2026
At the time of writing, there has been no confirmation from the club or Diakité’s parent club, Stade de Reims, while the claim does not appear to have been supported by other established sources. It should therefore be treated as an unconfirmed transfer rumour, and one to be taken with a huge pinch of salt.
However, the profile of the player involved makes it a particularly eye-catching link.
Oumar Diakité
Diakité is a full Ivory Coast international who was part of his country’s squad at the 2026 World Cup. He has made more than 30 appearances for the Elephants, scoring six times, having made his senior international debut against Lesotho in September 2023.
He also played an important role as Ivory Coast won the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in 2024. Diakité scored a dramatic extra-time winner against Mali in the quarter-final, although a second yellow card received during his celebrations ruled him out of the semi-final.
Diakité began his career with the renowned Ivorian academy ASEC Mimosas before moving to Red Bull Salzburg in January 2022. He was subsequently sent to Austrian second-tier side Liefering, where he scored 12 goals in 35 league appearances. His performances earned him a permanent move to Reims in the summer of 2023.
Diakité made 54 Ligue 1 appearances across his first two seasons in France, scoring nine goals. One of those came in a 2-2 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in March 2024, after which he was voted Reims’ player of the match by the club’s supporters.
He spent the 2025/26 campaign on loan with Cercle Brugge, scoring seven times in 25 Belgian Pro League appearances. That agreement included an option for Cercle to sign him permanently, although reports earlier this year suggested the proposed fee was considered too high.
Question marks over size of the deal
A fee of around £2.6 million would comfortably represent a club-record investment by Lincoln City and would underline the financial demands of competing in the Championship. However, I have to express a real doubt that this is something the club could reach.
That alone provides another reason to approach the report cautiously. It would be a significant move for the Imps, both in terms of the transfer fee and the standing of a player who has already featured regularly in Ligue 1 and on the international stage.
Nevertheless, Diakité has been linked with the Imps, and the account is ten years old, with some stories that have been proven, so I’ll bring it to you.
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