Arsenal could reportedly sign Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby in this window if they put together a ‘big enough deal’.
The Gunners have missed out on the signing of Mykhaylo Mudryk to Chelsea, with Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin claiming that they were ‘not prepared’ to match his valuation, even though they went as high as the £88.5m that their London rivals signed him for.
The Ukrainian club deemed a lot of the add-ons and conditions that Mikel Arteta’s side were offering as ‘unrealistic’, meaning that they lost out because of the overall structure of the deal.
Now, speaking on Sky Sports’ The Transfer Show, reporter Dharmesh Sheth says that the North Londoners have ‘made initial contact’ over the potential signing of Diaby after losing out on Mudryk, adding that a ‘big enough deal’ could persuade Leverkusen to sell in this window:
“Arsenal remain in the market for a forward after missing out on Mykhaylo Mudryk.
“They have made initial contact with Bayer Leverkusen over their winger Moussa Diaby, who we mentioned in the summer because Newcastle tried to sign him.
“Then, Leverkusen were quoting €100m for Diaby.
“It’s clear they don’t want to allow him to go in the middle of a season, but, as we know, money talks.
“If there is a big enough deal that Arsenal put together, then maybe Leverkusen would have to consider it.
“He’s got two-and-a-half-years left on his current deal.”
TIF thoughts on Diaby to Arsenal…
After missing out on Mudryk to Chelsea, Diaby would be a superb alternative for Arteta and his squad.
Lauded as a winger with ‘electrifying pace, good with both feet and fearless on the ball’ by The Chronicle journalist Aaron Stokes, the 23-year-old Frenchman more than showed his credentials last season with 13 goals and 12 assists in the Bundesliga, while this campaign he already has nine goal contributions to his name in 15 matches in the division (Transfermarkt).
He ranks in the 89th percentile for non-penalty goals and 83rd for progressive passes received per game of all his positional peers in Europe’s five leagues over the last year (FBRef), and would be an excellent fit at the Emirates Stadium, providing that the Gunners can structure a deal in a way that would please Leverkusen, but also meet their own valuation of the player.