Newcastle United are reportedly preparing an offer for Moussa Diaby but could face competition from Arsenal and Tottenham for the French international.
According to French publication L’Equipe, cash-rich Newcastle United are considering a swoop for Bayer Leverkusen attacker Moussa Diaby to sign him from under the noses of Premier League rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
The 22-year-old has been on the club’s radar for a number of months and is one of the players at the top of Newcastle manager Eddie Howe’s wishlist, with the Magpies now set to table a formal offer for the player. As such, they have yet to reach an agreement with the attacker, but Diaby has not ruled out a move to Tyneside as a possible option.
The French international arrived at BayArena from Paris Saint-Germain in July 2019 after struggling to get game time at his boyhood club. Since then, Diaby has come on leaps and bounds, cementing himself as one of the Bundesliga’s most promising attacking forces.
The Frenchman has scored 35 goals and weighed in with 37 assists in 124 appearances for Die Werkself and is coming off a career-best 31-goal-contribution season (17 goals, 14 assists) across all competitions, firing Gerardo Seoane’s charges to the UEFA Champions League in the Bundesliga.
It appears that Diaby’s eye-catching exploits might be enough to earn him a big-money move during the summer transfer window, with the Frenchman attracting the interest of Europe’s big guns.
With Diaby contracted at BayArena until 2025, Leverkusen are bracing themselves for major interest and are desperate to keep hold of their star winger. But at the same time, if an irresistible offer comes along, the Bundesliga outfit may be tempted to cash in and reinvest in their squad.
A number of big players have been linked with a move to Newcastle in the last few weeks, including Diaby, and it is easy to see why. The youngster has everything that Newcastle fans love: pace, trickery, and flair reminiscent of Allan Saint-Maximin. But most importantly, he has an eye for goal and the end product that the Magpies sorely lack from wide areas.
The main problem is the fact that Leverkusen are expected to hold out for a transfer war between suitors to net a bigger transfer fee and Newcastle are not the only Premier League club in the race to secure Diaby’s signature.
Arsenal, for one, have a concrete interest in the 22-year-old as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his ranks in preparation for a fresh top-four quest in the Premier League next season. With the Gunners looking to cut their losses on Nicolas Pepe this summer, signing someone like Diaby makes a lot of sense.
Also Read: Three players Newcastle United should pursue in the summer
As for Tottenham, their owners have recently made a £150 million cash injection to help Antonio Conte in the market and challenge for honours next season. While the front three of Dejan Kulusevski, Harry Kane, and Son Heung-min have done brilliantly, Tottenham may need even more firepower in their attack, with Steven Bergwijn set to leave and Lucas Moura’s showcasing inconsistent form this season.
