Bayer Leverkusen star winger Moussa Diaby remains in high demand. According to a report by German newspaper Bild, both Premier League side Aston Villa and Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr have made multiple offers for the French winger. According to Transfermarkt info, however, Leverkusen will want in the region of €65 million for the 24-year-old, who can play on both wings. Both those clubs lead the race but Newcastle United could also still come in for the player.
The recent offers made by both Aston Villa and Al-Nassr fall way short of Leverkusen’s evaluation of the player. Both Aston Villa and Al-Nassr have bid €40m and then €50m in their respective attempts to sign the player. Leverkusen’s evaluation of €65m would be a record fee for both clubs and make Diaby one of the most expensive departures in club history. But even if one of the two clubs can match the fee, that might not be enough, as sources have told Transfermarkt’s Stefan Bienkowski that Diaby has a big say in what will be the next step in his career.
Quick update on Moussa Diaby’s situation:
– Aston Villa’s offer well below what Leverkusen want for the winger. They’re expecting around €65m. – Diaby has a big say in whether he goes and only willing to move if offered a significant pay rise.
A big part of Diaby’s future is his desire to play in the Champions League. That is a factor that might make a transfer for either club difficult. In fact, it also might mean that a third club, most likely Newcastle United, could ultimately win the race for the winger. Transfermarkt understands that Newcastle have been interested in Diaby for some time, and unlike the other two clubs involved in the transfer saga, the Magpies can offer Champions League football next season.
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Aston Villa or Newcastle: Why does everyone want Moussa Diaby?
One hope for Aston Villa is that the club has made a significant step in its development under new head coach Unai Emery. Qualified for the Conference League this season, Villa have signed Pau Torres (€33m from Villarreal) and Youri Tielemans (free transfer from Leicester). The new additions have catapulted Villa’s squad value to €552m, and the club has ambitions to qualify for the Champions League next season.
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Diaby, in the meantime, is under contract until 2025 and has a current market value of €50m, which €10m down from his career high following the 2022 season. Cashing in on Diaby, therefore, could make sense. After all, Leverkusen paid just €15m in 2019 when they signed the Frenchman from Paris Saint-Germain. Since his arrival, Diaby has had 97 direct goal contributions in 172 games for Leverkusen. Diaby had his best season in the Bundesliga in the 2021/22 season when he scored 13 goals and 12 assists in 32 Bundesliga games. Those numbers dropped off a bit last season but were mostly due to a slow start under former head coach Gerardo Seoane. Once Xabi Alonso came in, Diaby’s productivity picked up, and he would end the season with nine goals and nine assists in 33 games.
Stats provided by Opta further underline why Diaby is in demand this summer. Among Bundesliga players last season, the winger was ninth in key passes made, 15th in successful dribbles, and ranked fifth among Bundesliga forwards in touches made. A couple of things that the stats do not tell is that Diaby can turn at high speed, which gives him an extra edge in beating opponents one-v-one. With a top speed of 36.5 km/h Diaby was the fourth fastest player in the Bundesliga. Just to put that in perspective, that puts him in the same category as Bayern Munich superstar Alphonso Davies. That speed with endless creativity is what makes the winger a fascinating target for Premier League clubs but also explains why Leverkusen is asking a premium for the player.
