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Burnley and Derby County target Bamba Dieng is not joining Turkish side Amed SK as he decided against travelling to complete the move.
The 26-year-old centre forward is a free agent after leaving Ligue 1 side Lorient following the expiry of his contract, but he has no shortage of suitors in the market.
Several Championship outfits have shown interest in signing Dieng this summer, with Burnley and Derby amongst his admirers.
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Burnley and Derby have been facing a battle to convince Dieng over a move to the Championship as the striker is reluctant to drop down to play for a second division side.
Dieng netted 16 goals in 26 appearances for Lorient last season, which earned him a place in Senegal’s 2026 World Cup squad and he made one brief appearance in their opening game of the tournament.
It was suggested that Dieng also garnered interest from La Liga in the form of Sevilla, but the Spanish outfit do not consider him their primary target.
John Eustace is keen to strengthen the Rams’ forward department this summer and it has been suggested that Derby are in advanced talks on landing striker Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi from Belgian side Leuven.
| Team | Year | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Reading (C) | 2005–06 | 106 |
| Sunderland (C) | 1998-99 | 105 |
| Newcastle United (C) | 2009–10 | 102 |
| Leicester City (C) | 2013–14 | 102 |
| Fulham (C) | 2000–01 | 101 |
| Burnley (C) | 2022–23 | 101 |
It did seem that Burnley and Derby would be unable to convince Dieng as he was in the process of heading to Turkey to join Amed SK.
However, it was suggested that Dieng failed a medical with Amed SK, leading to a move being called off.
According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Dieng did not fail the medical with Amed SK, contrary to the claims.
The attacker did not even travel to Turkey.
Dieng’s camp initially agreed to terms with the Turkish outfit, but they decided to call the negotiations off as new intermediaries arrived with changed terms during the last-minute discussions.
With Dieng still available in the market, Burnley or Derby could make a renewed push for him.
Dieng has Premier League suitors in the form of Hull City as well and now is not the first time he has been wanted in the Premier League as he came close to joining Leeds United in the summer of 2022.
