Adama Salimou Diakhaby (born 5 July 1996) is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger for Azerbaijan Premier League club Qarabağ.
Club career
Stade Rennais
Born in Ajaccio, France, Diakhaby began his football career at Caen B and progressed through the ranks. However, he left the club after he rejected a contract from them. Following this, Diakhaby spent a year as a free agent and went on trials at different clubs but it was unsuccessful.
It was announced on 8 November 2015 that Diakhaby signed for Rennes on a one–year contract. He was quickly assigned to the Rennes B for the rest of the 2015–16 season. While developing, the club's B team Christophe Gadby said about Diakhaby, saying: "He was well above the level. I remember a young man who was respectful of people and of instructions." It was announced on 4 July 2016 that Diakhaby signed his first professional contract with the club and was promoted to the first team ahead of the 2016–17 season.
Diakhaby made his Ligue 1 debut with Rennes on 14 August 2016 against OGC Nice, replacing Giovanni Sio after 70 minutes. He scored his first Ligue 1 goal two weeks later away at Montpellier HSC to draw the game 1–1. After not appearing in two matches, Diakhaby came on as a substitute in the 79th minute against Guingamp on 30 September 2016 and scored his second goal of the season, in a 1–0 win. Since making his debut for Rennes, Diakhaby found his playing time, mostly coming from the substitute bench throughout the 2016–17 season, though he appeared in a starting line–up in a number of matches. This led Manager Gourcuff explaining his progress in the first team, saying: "Physically reduced. Every time he has an injury, it interrupts his physical preparation, the rehabilitation takes a long time. That had been the case when he was injured in October. The most important thing is that he can continue training this week. He has run a lot, it is above all the ability to change the pace that is essential for him. At the post, he has the ability to play on the left. The formulas are not set in stone. It is a question of collective balance and complementarity. He can play mid-axis provided he is in full possession of his means." It wasn't until on 8 January 2017 when Diakhaby scored his third goal of the season, in a 6–0 win against Jeanne d'Arc de Biarritz in the first round of the Coupe de France. It was announced on 25 January 2017 that he signed a contract extension with the club, keeping him until 2021. In the last game of the season against Monaco, Diakhaby scored a brace against them, as Stade Rennais lost 3–2. Despite being sidelined on two occasions throughout the 2016–17 season, Diakhaby went on to make twenty–nine appearances and scoring five times in all competitions.
AS Monaco
Over the summer transfer window of 2017, Diakhaby was linked with a move to Monaco as a replacement for the outgoing Kylian Mbappé. It was announced on 2 August 2017 that he signed for the club, signing a five–year contract. The transfer fee was reported to be an estimated at 10 million euros.
Diakhaby made his AS Monaco debut, starting a match against Dijon on 13 August 2017 and set up the club's third goal of the game, in a 4–1 win. Two weeks later on 27 August 2017, he scored his first goal for AS Monaco, as well as, setting up the club's third goal of the game, in a 6–1 win against Marseille. Diakhaby then made his UEFA Champions League debut, starting a match and played 74 minutes before being substituted, in a 1–1 draw against RB Leipzig on 13 September 2017. Since making his debut for AS Monaco, he found his playing time, mostly coming from the substitute bench. It wasn't until on 9 January 2018 when Diakhaby scored his second goal for the club, in a 2–1 win against OGC Nice in the quarter–finals of the Coupe de la Ligue. He once again scored against OGC Nice on 16 January 2018, in a 2–2 draw. However in a follow–up match against FC Metz, Diakhaby suffered a hamstring injury and was substituted in the 55th minute, in a 3–1 win. It wasn't until on 10 February 2018 when he returned to the starting line–up against Angers SCO and set up Monaco's second goal of the game, in a 4–0 win. In the Coupe de la Ligue Final against Paris Saint-Germain, Diakhaby played 17 minutes after coming on as a substitute, as the club lost 3–0. However during a match against Amiens on 28 April 2018, he was sent–off in the last minute of the game for unprofessional foul, as AS Monaco drew 0–0. At the end of the 2017–18 season, he went on to make thirty appearances and scoring three times in all competitions.