Champions League participants Borussia Dortmund have signed their top central defensive target Abdou Diallo. The 22-year-old Frenchman joins BVB from fellow Bundesliga outfit Mainz 05 and has penned a five-year deal with the eight-time German champions that will keep him at the club until 30 June 2013.
In his first season in the Bundesliga, Diallo quickly established himself as a key player in the Mainz defensive setup, making a total of 27 appearances – all in the starting line-up – and only once not playing the full 90 minutes. “Abdou Diallo has a lot of the qualities that we expect from a signing,” said BVB Sporting Director Michael Zorc, who added: “He is a modern and strong central defender who is very intelligent to boot. But he can play a wider defensive role too or even be deployed in a defensive midfield role. The combination of his great potential and his versatility is what made Abdou such an interesting prospect for us.” Additionally, the fact that Diallo has already captained the France U21 team speaks volumes for his leadership skills. Starting from his time with the U16s in 2011, he has played for his homeland in every single youth category.