Pierre Sage could look to bring Lyon star with him to QPR if he is appointed | OneFootball

If Pierre Sage takes over at QPR, he could raid his former club Lyon and Mahamadou Diawara might be one of the first names that he looks to sign.

QPR are on the hunt for a new manager after placing current boss Marti Cifuentes on gardening leave, and one name that has been prominent in the betting odds for weeks is that of Frenchman Pierre Sage.

The Hoops' initial swoop to bring Cifuentes to Loftus Road from Hammarby in October 2023 came out of left field, with the Spaniard not well-known within English footballing circles, and the same could be said for ex-Lyon manager Sage.

If he does end up succeeding Cifuentes though in west London, Sage may look to raid his former club in the transfer market, with one particular Lyon player a potential figure of interest.

QPR should look to sign Lyon's Mahamadou Diawara if Pierre Sage is appointed

That player is 20-year-old midfielder Mahamadou Diawara, who is certainly one to watch in the future having spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Ligue 1 side Le Havre.

Standing at 1.87 metres tall (6 foot 1), Diawara is a physical presence in the middle of the park and a strong player who likes to tackle and break up play, but is not necessarily the most technically gifted.

QPR still lack a bit of depth in midfield, and starting midfielder Jack Colback may need replacing this summer. Colback isn't getting younger and is 35 years of age, so signing someone to replace him as a defensive midfielder - whether that be a short-term fix or more of a long-term one - could be a worthy investment.

Another midfielder, Jonathan Varane, has just penned a new deal with the R's and Diawara could prove to be a very good understudy or partner to him, as both are similar in that they are better defensively than offensively.

A former France under-19 international, Diawara boasts top-flight experience, having played 14 times for Le Havre in Ligue 1 this season following his mid-season loan move, with a handful of UEFA Europa League appearances under his belt too for Lyon.

Mahamadou Diawara's development could be best-served departing Lyon

With just under 30 appearances in total in Ligue 1 and the Europa League, Diawara is still relatively inexperienced. But, given that he is only 20, he has enough experience relative to his age that would make taking a gamble on him worth it.

Diawara signed for Lyon from Paris Saint-Germain's academy at a similar time to Sage returning to Lyon to become manager of the academy, with both happening in the summer of 2023.

Sage gave the youngster minutes in the first team after being promoted to manager in November 2023, with Diawara featuring in six Ligue 1 games in his first season in charge.

A lack of game-time in 2024-25 saw him loaned out to Le Havre in January around the time of Sage's sacking by Lyon, and the experience he will have gained should be crucial for his development.

It looks as if he is not going to get the minutes that he would like at Lyon, and they may want to cash in on the youngster whilst his stock is a bit higher.

And if Sage were to join QPR, the likelihood is that he would want to bring players that he is familiar with, and signing Diawara could prove to be a shrewd investment for the future whilst also being able to play in the first team if needed.