It’s testament to the remarkable seasons Arsenal and Newcastle United are enjoying in the Premier League that Moussa Diaby, one of Europe’s most exciting and coveted young forwards, would not even be guaranteed a place in the starting XI of either club these days.
As Leandro Trossard may be about to discover, ousting Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will take some doing. According to The Athletic, Chelsea used that very point when trying to convince Mykhaylo Mudryk to reject his dream club in favour of Stamford Bridge this month.
As for Newcastle, well, if you asked Eddie Howe to reel off the players he would happily trade Miguel Almiron for, it would likely be a very short list. Almiron epitomises Howe’s Newcastle better than anyone; a fierce determination coupled with a new-found ruthlessness.
But while the Champions League-chasing Magpies have made remarkable strides since Howe replaced Steve Bruce in late-2021, however, their roster remains on the ‘light’ side. That FA Cup third round defeat to Sheffield Wednesday felt like – if not quite a dose of harsh reality – then certainly a reminder of how much squad-building must still take place at St James’ Park.
It is certainly difficult to imagine Newcastle’s current roster successfully balancing Premier League and European football, with the likes of Ryan Fraser and Jacob Murphy amongst the first reserves.
Newcastle United are back in for Moussa Diaby
Reports from the Daily Mail claiming that Newcastle are renewing their interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s France international Diaby, then, offers a tantalising glimpse into the club’s prospective long-term plans. Diaby would not only give Howe some serious depth in wide areas, he would also be a clear upgrade on the likes of Fraser and Murphy. Arguably even Allan Saint-Maximin too.
Leverkusen value the former PSG whizzkid at £66 million, per Sport1. But Newcastle’s Saudi Arabian ownership makes a club-record deal a genuine possibility.
“Since he was young, Moussa had this talent,” Diaby’s former coach, Morade Djeddi, tells The Athletic. “Very quickly, you realise that he has explosiveness. An ability to take on his opponent and (use his) dribbling skills.
“I’m not comparing him to (Lionel) Messi. I’m just saying that Lionel Messi didn’t learn his dribbling anywhere. It’s the same for Moussa. He was born with it.
“Moussa has a supernatural, divine gift. A gift that some have and others don’t.”
Arsenal choose Leandro Trossard
A gift shared, certainly, by Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. According to Sky Sports, Arsenal held talks with Leverkusen over Diaby. Before deciding that Trossard – at more than half the fee – represented better value for money. With the Belgium international arriving imminently, there no longer appears to be an obvious place for Diaby in Mikel Arteta’s squad.
You certainly cannot say the same of Newcastle.
There are perhaps only a handful of clubs capable of both affording and attracting Diaby. And, fortunately for Eddie Howe and his high-flying Magpies, one of those aforementioned clubs might just be about to rule themselves out of contention as Trossard packs his bags and heads for London.
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