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Reported Celtic target Stephane Diarra has spoken up amid Premier League interest.
Newcastle United and Leicester City are two Premier League clubs to show an interest in the 21-year old in recent weeks, while Celtic are said to have tracked his development for several years now.
The Le Mans midfielder has been extremely impressive for the French Ligue 2 club this season, earning him a reputation as one of the hottest prospects in French football.
Speaking about his future recently, Diarra revealed that he is flattered by reported interest from the Premier League in particular.
Talking to Goal, Diarra expressed how he is keen to keep his feet on the ground, saying:
I’m still young and the most important thing is to play.
My goal is to play as many games as possible. It’s good to know that several clubs follow you, but leaving Le Mans this winter? I don’t know. I need to stay focused on my season. I’ll watch what is going on and we will see.
There have been ups and downs in my career but I adjusted quickly to Ligue 2. There was a little dip when I was at Rennes where I didn’t play at a high level. But at Le Mans, when I was on loan, everything started going in the right direction.
I have to progress in a lot of areas but especially on efficiency – that’s the biggest point for me. I have to do more and work on my final ball. Things are good today but not good enough.
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Diarra previously struggled to breakthrough with Rennes, but he has found his footing with Le Mans, meaning that Celtic should perhaps be careful when they move for the young player.
The Hoops will want to ensure that they move for the player at the right time, allowing him to develop before bringing him into the intense environment of the Scottish Premiership.
Premier League interest could prove to be problematic for Celtic’s chances at landing the starlet, but Neil Lennon could hope that the forward would be tempted by the easier promise of first team football.
