Arsenal received a boost in their pursuit of Moussa Diaby as Paris Saint-Germain may not be able to pay his fee due to FFP concerns.
According to Jonathan Johnson via Caught Offside, PSG may have FFP concerns ahead of the summer window as they may become unable to afford the fee for Moussa Diaby. The news would come as a boost for Arsenal and their hopes to sign the 23-year-old Bundesliga star.
Mikel Arteta will enter the summer market looking for players with a specific profile. After a stellar season under his belt, the Arsenal manager will look for stars that raise the level of his squad than just become another addition.
Arsenal needs a high-quality right winger to bolster their attack and bring competition to Bukayo Saka. Moussa Diaby is a player of interest to the Gunners, as they remain in contact with the 23-year-old Bundesliga star. Bayer Leverkusen could sell the Frenchman if they receive offers close to their valuations.
Arsenal have PSG and Newcastle United as rivals in the chase for Diaby. The two cash-rich clubs have the financial capabilities. Yet, the 23-year-old Bundesliga star could choose to join a Premier League side over a return to Paris, where he played before joining Leverkusen.
Paris Saint-Germain are one of the closest competitors for Arsenal, but there could be complications. There are concerns with Financial Fair Play, which, according to Jonathan Johnson could scupper a possible move for Diaby or any other expensive star.
Johnson said, “I’m personally not the biggest fan of the idea of PSG bringing back players that they let go for a low amount, as that can’t be considered smart business. Still, there’s no doubt about it – he’s a much better player than he was when he left PSG, much more developed, and it doesn’t surprise me to see clubs like Arsenal and Newcastle linked with him.”
“Still, with PSG’s financial constraints I’m not sure they’ll be able to stump up the kind of money Leverkusen would want for him. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had an asking price of €50m or just over that, something in the €40-50m range.
“There might be a scope to structure the deal so that the initial fee is a bit lower, but the overall structure of the deal is still likely to come up to around the €50m mark. I can’t see Leverkusen letting him go for anything less than a starting fee of around €30m.”
Arsenal like the player and consider him ideal for raising the level of their current stars. However, Diaby could have plenty of other options, especially from Newcastle United, who have the financial capabilities to conclude a deal with Leverkusen.
However, the lure of joining Arsenal, who have raised their levels and the probability of playing in the Champions League could prove pivotal for Diaby. For now, the race is open for the 23-year-old Bundesliga star, with the summer window likely to see a battle for the Frenchman.
