La Liga heavyweights are reportedly weighing up a move to sign 23-year-old French international Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Ferran Torres might leave Barcelona in 2023 to seek regular game-time. And the Catalan giants have identified 23-year-old Bayer Leverkusen attacker Moussa Diaby as a potential replacement for the Spanish international.
Moussa Diaby spent most of his formative years with Paris Saint-Germain before graduating from their academy a few years ago. But the French international could not establish a foothold at Parc des Princes and moved abroad to grow at the club level. And joining Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen has been a godsend for him.
The 23-year-old has been one of the most enterprising attackers in the Bundesliga over the last three years. But he has not been at his prolific best in the 2022/23 season, managing four goals and four assists in 18 appearances. Nonetheless, Diaby remains a hot property in the market, with Barcelona among his prospective suitors.
Barcelona might have to enter the market for an attacking reinforcement again next year despite heavily bolstering the offensive unit in the last few transfer windows. That is because Ferran Torres faces an uncertain future at Spotify Camp Nou after falling down the pecking order.
The Spanish international had enjoyed a decent second half of the 2021/22 season after arriving from Manchester City. But Torres is now behind Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha in the pecking order. So the former Valencia attacker might leave Barcelona to seek regular game time elsewhere.
Diaby is thus a viable target for Barcelona heading into 2023. Gakpo is another young attacker to have emerged on the Catalan club’s radar. But the Blaugrana will face intense competition from top European clubs for both players. While Gakpo has several Premier League bigwigs tailing him, the Diaby is an option for arch-rival Real Madrid.
But a move for the 23-year-old French international or Gakpo will depend on Torres’s future. If the Spanish attacker decides to remain at Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona might not enter the market for an offensive reinforcement. With other positions also screaming to get bolstered, 2023 will be a crucial year for Barcelona’s transitional phase.
