Arsenal have contacted Bayer Leverkusen for Moussa Diaby, but they may have to pay €100 million for the 23-year-old attacker.
According to Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth, Arsenal made initial contact with Bayer Leverkusen over Moussa Diaby. The 23-year-old Bundesliga attacker may end up costing around €100 million. The Gunners remain in the hunt for a wide attacking option after losing out on Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Arsenal’s search for a new winger is proving complicated as clubs continue to quote huge fees for few reported targets. After spending a chunk of the current window chasing Mykhaylo Mudryk, Mikel Arteta is steadily running out of suitable options in the market.
Mudryk was a favourite to arrive at the Emirates. The winger even posted multiple posts on his Instagram account indicating his preference to join Arsenal in this window. Despite confirming that Arsenal offered the same fees as Chelsea, the Blues convinced the Ukrainian to join them.
Mudryk’s decision was a huge blow for Arteta in his efforts to sign a wide attacking option. The Gunners need more quality depth in the position and could suffer without the right cover for Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. The Gunners are in the thick of a title race and desperately need to bring in reinforcements.
Arsenal have made initial contact with Bayer Leverkusen over Moussa Diaby. Leverkusen do not want to sell mid-season. Leverkusen were quoting €100m to interested clubs in the summer. #AFC #Bayer04 #MoussaDiaby
— Dharmesh Sheth (@skysports_sheth) January 17, 2023
A few names are under consideration, but most of those could only become available in the summer. Clubs are reluctant to part ways with important players mid-season but could do business at their price. For instance, Moussa Diaby emerged as a potential target, and Bayer Leverkusen will demand around €100 million.
Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth confirmed contacts between Arsenal and Leverkusen. He also insisted on the €100 million price tag. He also suggested the Bundesliga side remain uninterested in selling mid-season. If the Gunners are to come close to the asking price, their stance could change.
While some suggest it could be a ripple effect of the Mudryk deal, Leverkusen demanded a similar price back in the summer. Newcastle United remain interested, as they were back in August, but may not pay such an amount for one player.
The same goes for Arsenal, who may shelve the idea of spending big on one player despite offering similar figures for Mudryk. As for Leverkusen, they will point towards the experience of the 23-year-old Bundesliga attacker. The Frenchman has far better numbers than the Ukrainian star.
The Gunners may have initiated contacts, but talks are far from advanced. There are also question marks about whether the player would be open to the transfer.
