Former Chelsea and Ivory Coast winger Salomon Kalou has backed rising star Yan Diomande to thrive at the highest level, saying the teenager’s growing confidence could see him succeed whether he joins Paris Saint-Germain or moves to the Premier League.
Diomande, 19, has emerged as one of the most sought-after young talents in European football, with reports suggesting PSG are closing in on a deal worth around €100m (£85m), plus add-ons, ahead of competition from clubs including Liverpool.
Kalou, who moved to Chelsea from Feyenoord at the age of 20, said he personally believes the Premier League offers the best environment for development, but stressed that PSG’s winning culture makes them an equally attractive destination.
"I think he has something about him - at his young age, he already has the confidence. You can see he is very confident about what he can do on the pitch," Kalou told SuperSport before Ivory Coast's 2-1 loss to Norway that saw them eliminated from the FIFA World Cup.
"I think if that's the choice - to go to PSG - there's a reason behind it. PSG is a team that is winning everything at the moment, so why not if he wants to be in a team that wins everything?
Kalou added that while he views England’s top flight as the stronger league for player growth, Diomande’s mentality suggests he is ready for elite-level pressure.
"If you ask me, between the Premier League and Ligue 1 - where a player can develop most, I would say the Premier League - but [Paris-Saint Germain] is a top club and a team that can win everything.
"His confidence in himself already shows that he understands that if he wants to be among the best, he needs to show it. He is doing that for Ivory Coast at the moment, so we are happy and we are proud of what we are doing for the country."
Despite Ivory Coast’s early exit from the tournament, Kalou said the current squad possesses a different competitive edge compared with previous generations, including the so-called “golden generation” he was part of.
"They have something that we didn't have, even [though] people say [the team from the 2000s and 2010s was] the golden generation - but they have something [in the current generation] that we didn't have: it's that they can play dirty, they can make it hard, they can fight.
"We wanted to win the perfect game back in the day... [the current generation] understood that there is no perfect game. You've got to win the games."
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