Newcastle United have reportedly joined the likes of Arsenal in the race to sign Moussa Diaby.
Earlier this month, BILD claimed the Gunners were making ‘very serious efforts’ to try and land the Bayer Leverkusen ace.
And earlier this week, L’Equipe claimed Arsenal, Newcastle and Spurs were all interested in Diaby.
Now, The Telegraph has claimed that the Magpies have made enquiries over a deal for the France international.
Both Arsenal and Newcastle will be eager to bolster their ranks following their eventful 2021-22 campaigns.
The Gunners enjoyed a much better season than last year, though they came up just short in the top-four race.
Meanwhile, the Magpies were taken over, looked Championship-bound in January, then rallied round to stay up.
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And Diaby would be an incredible acquisition for either side.
The 22-year-old was in fine form last season, registering 17 goals and 14 assists in 42 outings.
His efforts helped Leverkusen finish third in the Bundesliga table.
Last season, Diaby managed ten goals and 15 assists in 43 appearances.
Newcastle and Arsenal would have to spend big to land Diaby
Predictably, Leverkusen are not expected to allow Diaby to leave cheaply.
His market value reportedly places him well above the £40million bracket of players.
Indeed, BILD – via Sport Witness – reported earlier this month that his club may even be wanting £84million.
Diaby has a long-term contract at BayArena, until 2025, meaning his club can negotiate a substantial fee.
As a young player with a proven track record at the highest level and a very high ceiling, it’s not surprising he’ll probably cost a lot.
Nonetheless, Diaby really does seem worth it – and many fans on social media have loved what they’ve seen from him.
One deemed him ‘the next Mane‘, one called him ‘a faster version of Saka‘ and another described him as a ‘Havertz / Salah hybrid’.