Assane Diao had a fine start to the season with Real Betis, but since February, his first team minutes have reduced drastically. Since the start of March, the 18-year-old has played only 22 minutes, all of which came in one match against Rayo Vallecano – he’s often played for Betis’ B team instead.
Despite this, Diao remains a top talent, and his performances earlier in the season have attracted interest from clubs in the Premier League – namely Brighton and Brentford. He’s said to be “very open” to leaving Betis in the summer, and according to MD, his release clause is currently less than expected.
At this moment, any interested clubs can pay €15m to sign Diao, although it’s not as straightforward as that. Betis can up the release clause to €30m, provided that they double his salary, which is currently one of the lowest in the first team.
It remains to be seen how Real Betis approach Diao’s situation in the summer. He’s certainly a top talent, although given that he isn’t in Manuel Pellegrini’s plans, cashing in now could be a shrewd move.
