Leonino exclusive: Sporting make final call on Assane Diao | OneFootball

Assane Diao is out of Sporting’s plans for next season, Leonino has learned. The 20-year-old Senegalese winger had been identified by the green-and-white setup, but the possibility of a move has lost momentum in recent weeks and, at this stage, he is no longer part of the Lions’ plans.

As our newspaper has found out, the high wages earned by the player at Como are one of the main factors preventing any attempt to sign him. The SAD led by Frederico Varandas believes the figures involved are above the wage policy set for Rui Borges’ squad.

Another aspect that weighed on the decision was his recent history of physical problems. Sporting’s hierarchy believes the injuries suffered by Assane Diao raise doubts about the player’s reliability and prefers to channel resources toward targets who offer greater guarantees of availability throughout the season.

With Assane Diao ruled out at this stage, Sporting remains active in the market in search of a winger to strengthen the left side of the attack. The club’s structure still has several names on its shortlist and intends to close that file in the coming weeks, but only for a player who commands consensus from both a sporting and financial point of view.

In the 25/26 season, playing for Como, Assane Diao - valued at €30 million - made a total of 20 appearances for the Italian side. In the 1,157 minutes he spent on the pitch, the Senegalese player scored two goals and provided one assist for his teammates.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.