IBRAHIMA Diallo has sent manager Ralph Hasenhuttl “absolutely a message,” after his performance in the 4-1 win over Brentford, says the Austrian boss.

The French youngster thought he had scored his first Premier League goal in his 36th appearance for Saints, when his strike from outside the area nestled in Alvaro Fernandez’s net.

However, the strong effort had instead cannoned back off the post and onto the Spaniard’s hand – ruling it an own goal and extending the 22-year-old’s wait for that maiden notch.

But it was not only his part in the goal that caught the eye, in Saints’ first Premier League match in front of new owners Sport Republic.

Diallo looked the most assured he has since he came Ligue One’s Stade Brest in a £10million+ transfer in October 2020, his movement looked the sharpest and even when a rare poor touch took him to within the vicinity of a Bees defender, quick feet and skill were able to help him evade capture.

Daily Echo: Ibrahima Diallo was a stand-out performer in a stand-out Saints performance (Pic: Stuart Martin)Ibrahima Diallo was a stand-out performer in a stand-out Saints performance (Pic: Stuart Martin)

Assessing his performance and whether he wishes Diallo could play alongside Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse in every match, Hasenhuttl told the Daily Echo: “Yeah I must say, this was definitely, it was absolutely a message (to him and the team).”

He continued: “Fantastic goal and I must say that he had by far his best performance today.

“I know that he can play like this, and today he has shown it and I really liked this performance.”

It was also Diallo’s hopeful hit forward that Che Adams cleverly latched onto to complete the rout with the fourth goal, capping off Saints’ best win of the Premier League season.

Yet to play even a full league campaign’s worth of games, the exciting Diallo has shown that he has the potential touted of him as a former French under-21 international.