Aston Villa are now planning to make a bid for Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby as they look to bring the £50 million-rated Bundesliga star to the Premier League this summer.
Two years ago, Aston Villa snapped up Leon Bailey after a couple of outstanding seasons in Germany’s top-flight.
Ironically enough, Bailey’s former Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Moussa Diaby could now be about to hammer a nail into his Villa Park coffin, the underwhelming Jamaican likely to find himself slipping down Unai Emery’s pecking order if the Midland giants launch another successful raid of the Bay Arena.
Aston Villa planning Moussa Diaby offer
With Youri Tielemans in and Pau Torres on his way, Emery and new President of Football Operations Monchi are likely to turn their attention to a wide forward.
And Diaby appears to be emerging as the priority. Especially with Nico Williams signing a new contract at Athletic Bilbao, Marco Asensio joining PSG, and Harvey Barnes heading to Newcastle United.
The Daily Mail reported over the weekend that Aston Villa were making checks on the France international. An ‘opening bid’ is on the way now, though it remains if Villa’s offer will match Bayer Leverkusen’s £50 million asking price.
The one-time Paris Saint-Germain starlet could potentially become Aston Villa’s record signing. But if he adapts to life in England better than Bailey, replicating last season’s tally of 14 goals and 11 assists, that £50 million fee would be very well spent for a side who finally have an elite-level tactician to back up their ambition; a Champions League charge in 2023/24 not out of the question.
‘A divine gift’
“Since he was young, Moussa had this talent,” Morade Djeddi, president of Diaby’s first club Esperance Paris 19e, told The Athletic in 2022. “Very quickly, you realise that he has explosiveness. An ability to take on his opponent and 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.”
Newcastle United were interested a year ago. Arsenal have also been linked with Diaby. But the Gunners cannot offer guaranteed first-team football; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard all fighting for a starting spot.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
