Aston Villa are preparing an offer for Moussa Diaby, who could become a priority signing, although they face rival competition.
According to Daily Mail, Aston Villa are formulating an opening offer for Mousa Diaby. Unai Emery is keen to bolster his attack and wants the French winger, whose price tag is £50 million. But the Midlands club face tough competition from the likes of Arsenal and other domestic rivals.
Moussa Diaby remains one of the talked about names in Europe after a few solid seasons at Bayer Leverkusen. Many clubs have shown interest, but the Bundesliga club’s asking price has always proved problematic.
There have been heavy links to the Premier League this summer. But yet again, the French winger’s £50 million asking price has made clubs re-think. Arsenal have remained interested, but they may plan to sign Diaby in the latter stages of this window, provided they can get sales money.
Similarly, other clubs like Manchester United have not made any concrete move for the French international in the initial stages. Now, Aston Villa have an interest in the versatile attacker. Unai Emery has the backing of the club hierarchy as he looks to break into the top six next season.
After getting some vital signings through the door, Emery is focused on bringing an elite attacker into the setup. Aston Villa surprised many by signing Pau Torres in what seemed like a bargain deal from Villarreal. The Spanish manager wants similar qualities in other areas, and Diaby suits their need.
With two years left on his deal, Diaby will already have ambitions to move into top-level football. A move to the Premier League might appeal to the winger; he could still dream about playing in the Champions League. Now, Aston Villa are reportedly formulating an offer to tempt Bayer Leverkusen.
They were reportedly keen on the French international back in 2021 to replace Jack Grealish and ended up signing Leon Bailey instead. Now, they want to offload the Jamaican international and bring Diaby in his place. Considering their domestic rivals could pounce, it is a tough ask for Villa in this particular case.
While Aston Villa have an ambitious project, they still lack Champions League football, which some of their rivals can offer. Arsenal, for instance, could keep their eyes open on the developments with the Bayer Leverkusen star and decide to make an offer later.
While Aston Villa could make an opening bid, they may have to wait a while before finalising any move for Diaby. They could put themselves at the forefront, but it is a difficult ask to prise the £50 million-rated French international who dreams of playing for one of the top clubs on the continent.
