Habib Diarra, Sunderland's record £30m signing, has revealed that the family atmosphere at the club was a key factor in his decision to join the Premier League side. The 22-year-old Senegal international turned down offers from Milan, Atlético Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Leeds to move to Wearside last summer.
'After I had the first call with the coach, I sat down and said to my parents: Sunderland's where I want to be; that's where I want to play,' Diarra explained. 'The Premier League was always a dream of mine and the coach presented me with a clear and interesting project.' He praised manager Régis Le Bris for creating a close-knit environment, adding: 'The coach always says to us that we're like a family here and we all fight for each other.'
Diarra, who can play across midfield but prefers a box-to-box role, has recovered from a groin injury that sidelined him for much of the first half of the season. He is now focused on helping Sunderland reach 40 points and believes European qualification is a realistic target. 'The coach sets his tactics out within a framework but we have freedom to play within it,' he said of Le Bris's approach, which allows midfielders like Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fée to interchange positions.
Born in Guédiawaye near Dakar, Diarra is fluent in Wolof and is learning English as a third language. His father, Samba, also played professionally. Diarra captained Strasbourg at 20 and recently returned from Morocco with an Africa Cup of Nations winners' medal. Despite his success, he remains humble, recalling how as a youth he worried about addressing senior teammates with the informal 'tu' in French.
