Former Lincoln City transfer target Oumar Diakité has completed a season-long loan move from Stade de Reims to Austrian side Sturm Graz.
The Ivory Coast international was linked with an ambitious move to Sincil Bank earlier in the summer, with reports from France suggesting we had submitted an offer worth around €3 million, including bonuses.
However, it was subsequently claimed that the 22-year-old had rejected the opportunity to move to the Championship. Our interest did not progress beyond that point, although Diakité continued to be linked with English clubs as the transfer window developed.
Bolton Wanderers reportedly submitted an offer towards the end of August, while Queens Park Rangers and Preston North End were also credited with an interest in the forward. None of those possible moves materialised before the deadline.
Instead, Stade de Reims have confirmed that Diakité has returned to Austria, joining Sturm Graz on loan for the remainder of the 2026/27 campaign. The agreement also includes an option to buy.
It is familiar territory for the forward, who joined Red Bull Salzburg from ASEC Mimosas in January 2022. He did not make a senior appearance for Salzburg but scored 12 goals in 35 league appearances for their feeder club, FC Liefering, before moving to Reims in 2023.
Diakité has since recorded nine goals in 54 league appearances for the French club, while he spent last season on loan at Cercle Brugge. He scored seven times in 25 league outings during his spell in Belgium.
He has also represented Ivory Coast at senior level and was part of the squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in 2024. His most memorable contribution came during the quarter-final against Mali, when he scored the winning goal in added time at the end of extra time.
It brings a definitive end to one of the most eye-catching transfer stories of the summer. Diakité was linked with City at a time when we were still looking to strengthen our attacking options, but our recruitment eventually moved in a different direction.
Tanto Olaofe, Mason Melia and Mikkel Ladefoged were among the forwards added to the squad, while Chiedozie Ogbene arrived from Ipswich Town on deadline day to provide further pace and Championship experience.
You can get the inside scoop on our links to Diakité right here in the next hour, when we’ll be releasing more of our exclusive interview with Jez George (now likely to drop at 8 pm, not 6 pm, due to rendering time and my inability to work Resolve properly)
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