Dortmund and Arsenal battling to sign Mainz defender Abdou Diallo

The long-awaited change of the post-season is finally here for Borussia Dortmund. Lucien Favre has been appointed manager and the BVB players are about to go their separate ways after a summer friendly with Los Angeles Football Club.

Now, the transfer window can truly begin.

According to Get French Football, Dortmund are back in the market for a defender, and they’ve turned to Mainz center-back Abdou Diallo.

Diallo, a 22-year-old Frenchman, was one of the best players in a Mainz team that narrowly escaped relegation from the Bundesliga. Standing tall at 6’2, he is strong in a tackle or an aerial duel, but is also known for his dribbling skills.

He came up through the breeding ground for talent that is the youth academy at AS Monaco, and only moved to Mainz last summer for a reported fee of €5 million. His most recent international experience was with France’s U21 team, so he certainly has potential.

If Diallo signs he’ll be another promising young player in Dortmund’s ranks. His arrival would likely be as a replacement for Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who is reportedly close to leaving the club.

Sokratis has been linked with Arsenal, who are mentioned here by GFF as also being interested in Diallo’s services. The Gunners certainly need a lot of help defensively, so it wouldn’t be ridiculous for them to be in the market for two central defenders.

Get French Football are a reputable source, especially for deals involving French players or teams. This story looks like it has legs, but it’s still very early. Bet on Dortmund buying a center-back at some point, but it’s not a sure thing yet that it will be Diallo.