Mohamed Baba Diomande was born on 30th October 2001 in Yopougon, Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He spent his early years as a footballer at the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana, from where he was scouted by FC Nordsjælland and brought to Denmark in 2020.
Over the next four years, he made 111 appearances for Nordsjælland, scoring 16 goals—the first of which he scored on 13th September 2020.
Flemming Pedersen, head coach of the club for Diomande’s debut in February 2020, said:
“He is an all-round player. He is at his very best in the central midfield, where he usually takes up a lot of space. He is a player who covers a large area. He is a good dribbler. He is a good ball winner, pretty strong in the main game as well and physically strong.”
Diomande joined Rangers FC on loan in late January 2024, in a deal with an obligation to buy this summer for an undisclosed fee.
Manager Philippe Clement said, on the day of he signed: “I am really pleased to have been able to add Mohamed to our squad, and I am excited to see what he can bring to our team.
“In our conversations and what I have seen of him as a player, I believe he will be a real asset to us, not only in what remains of this season, but in the seasons to come also.
“I look forward to welcoming him to Glasgow, and to working with him on the training pitch soon.”
Diomande made 19 total appearances and scored two goals for the Light Blues last season. He also made his senior international debut for the Ivory Coast last month, coming on as a 78th-minute substitute against Gabon on 7th June.
On the day he signed for Rangers, Diomande said: “I am very excited to join such a historic club and I’ve heard a lot of good things about the team.
“I had a lot of great conversations with the manager who told me about his plans for the team and where I would fit in, which helped convince me that Rangers was right for me.
“I really can’t wait to get started, join up with my teammates, and run out at Ibrox for the very first time in front of the Rangers supporters.”
Nils Koppen, Director of Recruitment, added: “As a recruitment department, we are very pleased to add Mohamed to our Rangers squad after a long and thorough process.
“After analyzing data, video and live games over a long period of time, we are convinced that he will add something extra with his high level of athleticism, creative play and strong defensive work.
“I look forward seeing him play in a Rangers jersey and be a part of the amazing Rangers family.”
Diomande has already displayed glimpses of his genius on the pitch at Ibrox, and with a full pre-season behind him at the beginning of next season, Gers fans will hope he can become a mainstay in Philippe Clement’s midfield for years to come.