Aston Villa monitoring a youngster tipped as ‘the new Kante’ in Turkish Super Lig

Aston Villa monitoring a youngster tipped as ‘the new Kante’ in Turkish Super Lig

Aston Villa are scouting a young talent in the Turkish top flight who is considered the ‘new N’Golo Kante’ by the local media.

Aston Villa’s transfer business appears to involve not only marquee targets for the first team but also young talents for long-term investment. The club have followed this approach for some time in order to remain compliant with financial regulations without sacrificing their ambition of securing top-quality signings.

The likes of Lamare Bogarde, Modou Cisse and Samuel Iling-Junior are current examples. Bogarde has been promoted to the first team, Cisse has just arrived this summer and is expected to be the understudy to the senior defenders after already featuring in pre-season matches, while Iling-Junior has been loaned out several times.

Recently, according to a report from TeamTalk, Villa have joined the race to sign Genclerbirligi Ankara youngster Ousmane Diabate.

“Aston Villa and three other Premier League teams have been sending scouts to assess him in recent months, we understand.”

His contract situation

Diabate was initially signed on a three-year deal by Danish side FC Midtjylland from his native club, SOAR Academy in Guinea. As part of the agreement, he was allowed to join Genclerbirligi on a temporary basis because he had signed for the Danish club before turning 18.

The Guinean defensive midfielder eventually joined the Turkish side on a permanent deal in December 2025, signing a contract until 2029. He broke into the first team last season, making seven appearances across the league and Turkish Cup after featuring regularly for the club’s Under-19 side.

Aston Villa are aiming to sign him as early as possible for a relatively low transfer fee. However, that will not be easy, with Brentford, Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur also in the race.

The midfielder, who has already made his senior debut for Guinea, has impressed scouts with his defensive ability, composure and excellent reading of the game.

The best deal for Diabate

Since Diabate only recently joined the Turkish club and made his senior breakthrough last season, it may be better for him to remain there a little longer rather than immediately leaving the club that has given him the opportunity to develop before a potential move to one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Should Villa manage to secure his signature, they could consider allowing him to stay at Genclerbirligi on loan for another season while continuing to monitor his progress. Diabate would likely receive far more first-team opportunities than he would by moving straight to Bodymoor Heath.

It is an approach Villa have successfully adopted before. The case of Modou Cisse is a good example. The Lions agreed a deal for the Senegalese youngster in the summer of 2025 before allowing him to remain at LASK Linz with on loan status. Cisse flourished during the 2025/26 season and helped his side win the domestic double, securing their first league title and domestic cup triumph in 61 years. He just begins playing for The Clarets and Blue for the upcoming season.