Newcastle United have reportedly sent an enquiry for Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, with the news coming amid rumours that Arsenal are interested in signing the attacker.
According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies have made a fresh approach for the 23-year-old amid reports from Sky Sports News yesterday that Arsenal had been in contact to sign Diaby, with Newcastle eager to receive updates on the Gunners’ interest in the forward.
Diaby has been a target for Newcastle for quite some time. Yet with Leverkusen setting a €100m (£88m) asking price for their star attacker this January, it is highly unlikely that a move will happen this month, with Chelsea’s capture of Mykhailo Mudryk setting a dangerous precedent for selling clubs.
The Ukrainian international joined the Blues over the weekend in a £88m deal. And as a result, clubs around Europe could now ask for similar transfer fees for players with similar profiles, with Leverkusen and Diaby no exception following Arsenal’s interest in the winger.
Indeed, Newcastle’s recent enquiry could make a transfer battle likely between the two Premier League clubs in the coming weeks. However, given how unwilling Arsenal were to go into a bidding war with Chelsea for Mudryk, the Gunners could do something similar with Diaby and the Magpies.
Capable of playing on both wings and one of the most exciting talents in the Bundesliga, Diaby is a name who has been consistently linked with a move to the Premier League. And this January could be the closest we see the winger make a move to England after years of tearing up Germany.
Newcastle could make a statement by signing Arsenal target Diaby
Newcastle are no strangers to beating Arsenal to their own transfer targets, with Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak both joining the Magpies in the last 12 months despite strong links to the Gunners. And with Diaby, the Toon can make it a hat-trick of signings.
With Newcastle already in the market for an attacker this January, Diaby would be an exceptional signing for Eddie Howe’s side as well as a statement transfer given how big a fee could be for the Leverkusen star, with the Magpies also yet again inflicting transfer misery onto Arsenal.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
