Moussa Diaby has been strongly linked to Newcastle United for the best part of 12 months and reports continue about the French forward’s future, as Newcastle prepare for their first stint in the UEFA Champions League for 20 years.
A report from German outlet BILD has stated that their interest in the French forward remains following another productive season in the Bundesliga, scoring nine goals and assisting eight times in 33 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen.
The fee may prove to be prohibitive, however, with Xabi Alonso’ Leverkusen said to be demanding £51m for the talented forward, which may be too much for the Magpies, despite their backing from Saudia Arabia’s PIF, financial fair play still remains a concern for Eddie Howe’s team.
Diaby could be the difference for Eddie Howe’s side
According to the same report from Bild, the forward is said to be ‘aiming for a move to England’ with Arsenal previously linked with the wide man.
The German side are also seemingly preparing for his departure after the capture of Hoffenheim winger Jonas Hofmann has been made with the departure of Diaby in mind.
Anthony Gordon has seemingly struggled in the black and white of Newcastle, since his £40m move from Everton in January, so the search for a winger makes a lot of sense for Eddie Howe.
With Allan Saint-Maximin struggling for consistency on the left, a new winger who can provide that creative spark in front of goal will be crucial if Newcastle are to sustain themselves in the coveted top four.
A fee of around £50m would be steep, but if Newcastle could negotiate that down to the £40-45 million mark, this would represent great business from the Magpies.
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