Oumar Diakite set for European test after joining SK Sturm Graz

Oumar Diakite will spend the 2026-2027 season with SK Sturm Graz after Stade de Reims agreed to send the Cote d’Ivoire international on loan to Austria.

The Ivorian forward will make the step up to the Austrian top flight after previously playing 35 matches in the division below. His move includes an option for SK Sturm Graz to make the transfer permanent at the end of the loan.

The deal also gives Diakite the opportunity to play in European competition, with SK Sturm Graz set to compete in the Europa League this season.

The 21-year-old returns to a country he already knows well. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Cercle Bruges, but his earlier experience in Austria means the move to Graz represents a familiar environment as he looks to continue his development.

Diakite said he had been close to joining the club a year ago after holding talks with Michael Parensen.

« J’ai eu d’excellentes discussions avec Michael Parensen il y a un an et j’etais sur le point de rejoindre Graz. Je suis donc d’autant plus ravi que cela se soit concretise. Je connais deja tres bien le Sturm pour y avoir evolue en Autriche : un grand club ambitieux avec des supporters fantastiques. Je suis extremement heureux d’etre ici et de pouvoir donner le meilleur de moi-meme sur le terrain au plus vite ! »

The loan is intended to help Diakite secure regular playing time and maintain his progress in a league with which he is already familiar. His move also provides another opportunity to perform on a European stage and rebuild momentum in his career.

For Stade de Reims, the agreement gives their forward a chance to gain further experience outside France while remaining under the terms of a temporary transfer. For SK Sturm Graz, Diakite arrives with knowledge of Austrian football and the prospect of contributing both domestically and in the Europa League.

The forward’s immediate challenge will be to establish himself in the Austrian top flight after spending 35 matches in the country’s second tier. The move to SK Sturm Graz therefore marks a new stage in his career, combining a return to familiar surroundings with the chance to test himself in European competition.

Diakite said he was particularly pleased that the proposed move to Graz, which had been discussed a year earlier, had now been completed. He also highlighted the club’s ambition and the backing of its supporters as reasons for his enthusiasm about beginning the next phase of his career in Austria.