Al-Nassr have set their sights on a marquee signing for this summer in the form of 24-year-old French winger Moussa Diaby.
According to the Daily Mail, Saudi Pro League side are looking to rival Aston Villa for the signature of the coveted Bayer Leverkusen star. This comes after the Villains were said to have seen their £30million bid rejected last week.
It is believed Leverkusen are valuing Diaby at a fee closer to £50m due to their star having his best years ahead, and the general state of the market.
Al-Nassr can sell an attractive prospect to Diaby, with the opportunity to line-out next to Cristiano Ronaldo in attack. He would also be joining Croatian Marcelo Brozovic who is another high-profile star who has made the move.
A move is likely dependent on the outcome of the FIFA ban from registering players which Al-Nassr are facing.
Diaby would be a real statement signing
Diaby, unlike the majority of players who have made the move to Saudi Arabia in the last 6 months still has his prime years well ahead of him.
It would represent a hugely ambitious signing to bring in a player of his ilk, from a European side and to win his signature over the reigning Conference League champions.
Morade Djeddi, president of Diaby’s first club Esperance Paris 19e had previously insisted Diaby had a divine talent destined for the stars.
He told The Athletic, “He was born with it. If dribbling was just work, there would be hundreds and hundreds of Lionel Messis.
“It’s just that Moussa has a supernatural, divine gift. A gift that some have and others don’t.”
Since his arrival at Leverkusen, Diaby has been a solid and consisted performer, racking up 49 goals and 48 assists in 172 games.
He was most impressive in the 2021-22 season scoring 13 with 12 assists, however last season he contributed nine goals and 8 assists.
The winger has also been capped six times by France.
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