Thu Jan 09, 2014 11:29 am
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made his move for Mame Diouf after Hannover confirmed the new Cardiff City boss has gone formal with his interest in the striker.
Hannover president Martin Kind revealed earlier this week he would be prepared to cash-in on former Manchester United rookie Diouf amid links with the 26-year-old to a switch to the Bluebirds.
It is understood a fee of around £2.5m would be enough to persuade the Bundesliga club to sell the Senegal frontman after he told them he will not sign a new deal when his current contract runs out at the end of the season.
And now Kind has told German media outlets that Cardiff have made an official approach as Solksjaer looks to get his man in after completing the £2.5m move for Heerenveen midfielder Magnus Wolff Eikrem and looking to tie-up a move for Molde starlet Matts Moller Daehli.
However, Kind did admit that he would be prepared to keep hold of Diouf should new boss Tayfun Korkut insist on keeping the five-goal former Blackburn loanee.
Turkish boss Korkut recently replaced Mirko Slomka at the Bundesliga club and said of Diouf: "If we have quality we should protect them. It would not be easy to fund a replacement and I did not get the impression Mame's thoughts are somewhere else"
Kind stressed: "The coach wants to keep Diouf, well, he stays."
However, with Hannover eyeing up young Chile striker Nicolas Castillo, Cardiff could yet tempt them into a sale as the January transfer business steps up a gear.