Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby has been linked with a big-money move to the Premier League this summer following another impressive campaign.
Arsenal have reportedly set their sights on signing the 22-year-old Frenchman who continues to shine in the Bundesliga. This is according to German outlet BILD, via Sport Witness.
Leverkusen have qualified for next season’s Champions League and the former Paris Saint Germain youngster has played a crucial role in his side’s success.
From 41 games this season, Moussa Diaby has 17 goals and 14 assists to his name across all competitions.
The five-time France international has had his best goalscoring campaign and his performances look to have caught the eye of Mikel Arteta’s Gunners who are hoping to secure a Champions League place of their own.
In his three seasons at Leverkusen, Moussa Diaby has scored 35 goals and provided 37 assists from 123 matches.
With the pacey Moussa Diaby linked with a Premier League switch, we take a look at nine former Leverkusen players who made the switch to the English top-flight…
Demarai Gray
Birmingham-born Gray left Leicester in January 2021 and signed an 18-month deal with Leverkusen but he only made 12 appearances for the German side last season, scoring one goal.
The 25-year-old was signed by Rafa Benitez last summer for £1.7m and became the Spaniard’s third Everton signing.
Gray started the season in fine form with three goals from his opening four Premier League games, but he’s only added two in the league since and it is yet to find the back of the net in 2022 when it comes to the top-flight.
Emre Can
Brendan Rodgers brought the German, who was an under-21 international at the time, to Anfield for £10m in July 2014.
The midfield enforcer would stay in Merseyside for four years before joining Serie A giants Juventus on a free transfer.
The 28-year-old spent one full season at Turin before moving back to Germany with Borussia Dortmund where his loan deal was made permanent in July 2020.
Dimitar Berbatov
Following five clinical seasons at the BayArena which saw the legendary Bulgarian score 91 goals from 202 matches, Tottenham splashed out £10.9m to bring the talented striker to White Hart Lane in May 2006.
After two full seasons in north London and with 46 goals scored from 102 games, Sir Alex Ferguson saw off late competition from Manchester City to bring Berbatov to Old Trafford on the last day of the summer transfer window in 2008.
Berbatov would win the Premier League twice with the Red Devils and was the Premier League’s top scorer in the 2010/11 campaign with 20 goals.
The retired striker scored 56 goals from 149 games under the legendary Scotsman before having spells with Fulham, Monaco, PAOK Salonika and Kerala Blasters before retiring in April 2018.
Javier Hernandez
The ‘Little Pea’ left his native Mexico to join Sir Alex at United in the summer of 2010. The diminutive poacher had a habit of scoring big goals for the Red Devils.
But once Sir Alex retired in 2013, Hernandez struggled to have the same impact under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.
Following a season-long loan at Real Madrid, Chicharito joined Leverkusen on the last day of the summer transfer window in 2015.
Hernandez spent two seasons at Leverkusen in which he scored 39 goals from 76 appearances before West Ham brought him back to the Premier League for £16m.
The two-time Premier League winner and Mexico’s all time top scorer spent two full seasons with the Hammers before signing for Sevilla. After five months in Seville, Hernandez made the move to the MLS with LA Galaxy.
Andre Schurrle
The World Cup winner became Jose Mourinho’s first signing of the Portuguese’s second stint in charge at Stamford Bridge.
The versatile forward was signed for £18m from the Bundesliga giants and arrived in west London, in June 2013, off the back of scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists in his previous campaign.
The German had one full season playing for the Blues before returning to Germany with Wolfsburg in February 2015.
Schurrle would go on to sign for Dortmund and had loan spells at Fulham and Spartak Moscow before retiring in July 2020.
Bernd Leno
After coming through the Stuttgart youth sides, Leno was signed by Leverkusen on a permanent deal in January 2012, following a loan spell with the club.
Leno spent six-and-a-half years at the BayArena before moving to the Emirates for £19.3m after making over 300 appearances for the German giants.
Leno had three seasons of being number one for the Gunners before Aaron Ramsdale arrived last summer and he has to settle being the club’s number two.
Heung-Min Son
The South Korean legend joined Leverkusen after spending two years at Hamburg, and after two seasons at the BayArena and 29 goals from 87 matches, the forward was signed by Mauricio Pochettino for £22m.
The 29-year-old has proven to be a bargain and he continues to get better with every passing season in the Premier League.
Spurs’ number seven hit the 20-goal barrier in the top-flight for the first time this season and from 322 matches for Tottenham, Son has 128 goals and 73 assists to his name.
Leon Bailey
Aston Villa signed the Jamaican speedster after the former Genk winger had four-and-a-half seasons with Leverkusen.
The Villains paid £25m to sign Bailey who scored 39 goals from 156 matches during his time in Germany.
The 24-year-old, who played alongside Moussa Diaby 50 times, has had a tough first season in English football and has one goal and two assists from 18 Premier League matches.
Kai Havertz
Havertz spent four full seasons in the Leverkusen first team after coming through the youth ranks.
With 46 goals and 31 assists to his name from 150 Leverkusen matches, Chelsea won the race to sign the much-coveted attacking midfielder.
The Blues signed the 22-year-old for £71m and he was the man to score the winner in last season’s Champions League final against Manchester City.
In his second season at Stamford Bridge, the German international has 13 goals and six assists from 45 matches. Just like Bailey, Havertz played alongside Moussa Diaby during his time at the BayArena