FIRST SIGNING: Arsenal has now tabled amazing offer that club cannot reject – £88M deal – announcement imminent, deal confirmed
Arsenal have reportedly opened initial talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a potential move to sign Moussa Diaby in January, as per Sky Sports.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a productive campaign ahead of the winter break this term, scoring six goals and notching up three assists in 15 Bundesliga appearances.
Following Gabriel Jesus’ injury, it has widely been touted that the Gunners are keen on strengthening their attack this month in order to boost their title charge. It was thought that Mykhaylo Mudryk was their priority target to add depth to the frontline and they made three official proposals to sign the Ukrainian.
However, in the end, Chelsea swooped in and got the deal done. So, Arsenal have been forced to explore alternative options to bolster the attack with Diaby emerging as a potential target.
According to the report by Sky Sports, Mikel Arteta’s side are showing an interest in signing the talented forward and have now held initial conversations with Leverkusen over a potential January move.
Diaby to Arsenal
The report further claims that signing the 23-year-old will be tough for Arsenal as Leverkusen don’t want to let their star leave in midseason and have slapped a whooping £88m price tag on his head.
The Frenchman still has two and a half years left in his current contract, so Leverkusen are under no pressure to sell the youngster this month.
Diaby is a right winger but can play on both wings. He is quick, can create chances for the strikers and also has an eye for scoring goals so he’d be an excellent addition to the Arsenal squad.
It was earlier reported that Arteta wants to manage Bukayo Saka’s work load and therefore, is keen on signing a backup to the England international. And the Leverkusen man could be a very good deputy to Saka if he were to move to the Emirates Stadium this month and he’d also provide support for Gabriel Martinelli on the opposite flank.
However, the reported £88m fee will be a huge stumbling block in getting this deal done unless the Bundesliga side decide to lower their valuation. The onus will be on Arsenal’s hierarchy to persuade Leverkusen to let the Frenchman leave for an affordable price. Let’s see how things progress over the coming days.
