Fierce European battle: Zidane's discovery makes his mark at Barcelona
Who is he?
Barcelona are still working the transfer market in search of players who can strengthen the squad for next season, and France's Andy Diouf has emerged as one of their options. The Inter Milan midfielder has caught the eye with a string of impressive displays in Italy, with Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain also keen.
Transfer market specialist Ekrem Konur, citing Italian reports, says Barcelona have joined the race for the 23-year-old. Scouts from the Catalan club watched his recent outing with the France national team and came away impressed by his physical qualities and his versatility.
That flexibility lets him fill several roles. He is comfortable across midfield in its various guises, can operate on either flank as a winger and is capable of doing a job at left-back.
Strength, ground coverage and a contribution to building attacks all add value for sides that live off a quick tempo and attacking transitions.
Inter hold on to his services
The Frenchman joined Inter Milan in the summer of 2025 from Lens for around 20 million euros.
A period of adaptation followed, after which he began to establish himself in the plans of coach Cristian Chivu, who has used him primarily at right-back.
Three assists in five Serie A starts made for a strong beginning to the season. His standing rose, and a number of major European clubs took notice.
Chelsea look the keenest of the suitors, while Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain keep monitoring his development before weighing up a move.
Getting a deal done will be anything but simple. Diouf's contract with Inter Milan runs until June 2030, and the Italian club are determined to hold on to their promising players.
No official offer has arrived from Barcelona so far, though the player has entered the thinking of their sporting management as one of the options worth following before the next transfer window.
Zinedine Zidane handed Diouf his first France call-up during the last international break. He featured against Belgium on 28 September and again in the match played in France on 5 October.
