Deadline Day always produces wonderful stories. This year was probably no stranger than that of Marseille professional Bamba Dieng, who wants to move first to Lorient, then to Leeds and later to Nice within a few hours. When the window closes, nothing happened except on paper.
Three U-turns, a failed medical check and, to top it all off, a computer glitch: those responsible at the French first division club Olympique Marseille and the Senegalese professional Bamba Dieng lived the Deadline Day. Together they wrote the story of the day.
What happened? Even before things really got going on the last day of the transfer window, Marseille signaled interested clubs that 22-year-old Dieng would be on the market. Some clubs pricked up their ears and then registered their interest.
FC Lorient initially seemed to have secured the contract. According to French media reports, Dieng's move to league rivals Marseille was imminent. But then Premier League club Leeds United suddenly rang through the Olympique bosses and the Senegalese striker's advisors. Leeds made a €11.5million bid, which was accepted by both Marseille and Dieng, according to English media. The Premier League club then chartered a private plane, which was waiting for Dieng at Nice airport.
The transfer, it seemed, was just a formality at that point. Leeds boss Andrea Radrizzani even welcomed the striker on Twitter. What happened then, Radrizzani described late in the evening to "Sky Sports" simply as "madness of the deadline day".
The assessment is quite accurate, because while Dieng was waiting for the green light from the tower at Nice airport, OGC Nice suddenly got involved in the deal. Ex-BVB coach Lucien Favre's club started a last-minute advance on Dieng - and was successful. The Senegalese canceled the plan with Leeds United and told the English club off at the last minute. But that was far from the end of the story.
A little later, Dieng made his way from the airport in Nice to the hospital, where the obligatory medical check-up was carried out. After the investigation, the Favre club announced: The deal fell through. Dieng failed the medical check. According to "RMC Sport", it was only a small problem, but this problem was still big enough to call off the deal.
After all: Dieng does not have to write off his move to Nice completely. Thanks to an exception rule, the so-called Joker rule, French clubs are allowed to sign exactly one player from another French club even after the end of the transfer window. Olympique Marseille hope that's exactly what will happen.
The club told the French media that it was surprised at the assessment of the Nice doctors and did not share their assessment. Dieng is healthy and operational. The hope for a later transfer is therefore still alive. According to "The Athletic", medical examinations are due again on Friday.
But that wasn't the end of this posse. After Dieng pulled out of FC Lorient, "Les Merlus" wanted to sign another striker. The choice fell on 21-year-old Lucas Da Cunha from - you guessed it - OGC Nice, who had actually already found a successor in Dieng. A loan deal including a purchase option was agreed between the clubs. But this deal fell through at the last second. The reason: the papers had not arrived in time at the league office due to a computer glitch. It was the inglorious end of a deadline day that Olympique Marseille, Bamba Dieng, Leeds United and OGC Nice will probably not soon forget.
