Brentford v Leeds United: Arrival of Toumani Diagouraga lifts Steve Evans

The 28-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half year deal at Elland Road after becoming Steve Evans’s first permanent signing as head coach.

United are understood to have paid around £575,000 for Diagouraga, who joined Brentford in 2010 and was Player of the Year last term.

Evans was last night yet to decide whether his new signing would make his bow against the club he represented almost 250 times but the Leeds head coach is adamant that the new boy will be a good capture.

“He has been a big player at Brentford for quite a few years,” said the Scot ahead of tonight’s clash, which has been brought forward from Saturday to avoid a clash with the FA Cup fourth round.

“But he was starting to get towards the last year of his deal and there didn’t seem to be any sign of another offer or another agreement.

“It was a bit like our situation with Sam Byram. ‘Toums’ wanted to look at other opportunities and when that became common knowledge, a lot of clubs went in for him, including ours.

“As soon as the news came out last week that we had done a deal, two Championship managers texted me saying, ‘Outstanding signing’. I think that is what we have got and I am not the only one.

“I looked back at the game when Brentford came to Leeds earlier in the season (a 1-1 draw in September). I don’t expect our own supporters to remember every opposition player but he passed everyone off the park that day.

“He was head and shoulders above the rest with a pass completion rate of 98.4 per cent. I’m not just talking simple, five-yard balls. He was on my list when I first came here and started talking about players.

“I could speak all day about him but what I really want now is for him to settle, find his feet at Leeds and show why it was that I thought so highly of him. I would rather he did the talking now.”

Diagouraga made 40 league appearances last season as Brentford reached the Championship play-offs. If selected tonight, he could be in for a rough ride from the home fans after putting in a transfer request earlier this month amid interest from Glasgow Rangers.

The Scottish giants had a couple of bids rejected for the midfielder before Leeds pushed through their own deal.

“I will do what I usually do and sleep on things before picking the team,” Evans said when asked if Diagouraga will start in west London tonight. “It is funny how it has worked out for Toums, going back to Brentford so soon. But picking a team isn’t about whether it is the right occasion for him. It is about picking a team which will give us the best chance of beating Brentford.

“Either way, I don’t need to worry about him. He is a level-headed lad and the people I spoke to about him said that he doesn’t have bad days in terms of application or effort.

“He might have off-days in terms of quality but every player does. He is in the squad and he is an option.”

With tonight’s clash being one of just two taking place in the Championship, United have an opportunity to build on the weekend win over Bristol City and move back towards the top half of the table.

Victory would also leave Leeds brimming with confidence going into the fourth round tie at struggling Bolton Wanderers, a fixture that has taken on huge importance in terms of the season due to the Yorkshire club being unlikely to be involved in either the promotion or relegation battles come May.

Evans admits a fifth round berth is “a major target for us” but the head coach is also quick to stress that the Bolton tie will not be prioritised over the search for league points.

“The players won’t be looking beyond Brentford,” he said.

“We can jump a few places in the league (tonight) and that is the priority. “I would like us to have a good run in the Cup, I would like to do something special in it and I think a Cup run lifts the whole place, the city and the club.

“But it is not a case of Bolton being the important game for us. Brentford is important, too. Win at Brentford and we get back towards the top half. We take care of ourselves, we go back to within eight points of the play-offs and then it is down to other clubs to do their jobs while we enjoy the FA Cup on Saturday.

“If they don’t do their jobs, perhaps that opens things up for a few twists and turns (in the play-off race).”

Last six games: Brentford WLLLLW, Leeds United DDWLLW.

Referee: I Williamson (Berkshire).

Last time: Brentford 2 Leeds United 0; September 27, 2014; Championship.