Junior Diaz

Michel Junior Diaz (born 23 July 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Ligue 1 club Brest on loan from Troyes. Born in France, he plays for the Ivory Coast national team. Club career Diaz was a youth player of Nantes. He joined Nantes' youth team in 2012, playing in the academy for ten years and winning the 2022 Under-19 league title under manager Pierre Aristouy. During the 2022–23 season, Diaz started training with Nantes' first team and made his senior debut in a Coupe de France match against AF Virois, on 7 January 2023. On 30 August 2023, Diaz joined Ligue 2 side Annecy on loan. Benched in the first matches of the season, on 26 September 2023, he made his Ligue 2 debut against Auxerre. Diaz immediately started get more space in the club's roster, becoming a starter. At the end of the season, he had a cumulative number of 22 appearances. Back from the loan, on 8 August he joined Troyes on a permanent transfer. The transfer reportedly commanded a fee of almost €2.5 million. On 16 August, he made his club debut in a 4–0 loss against Guingamp. On 13 July 2025, Diaz was loaned by Ligue 1 club Brest.