Newcastle: Moussa Diaby pursuit may hit stumbling block
Newcastle United may encounter a problem concerning their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby due to Lionel Messi leaving Paris Saint-German this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.
What’s the latest news involving Moussa Diaby and Lionel Messi?
As per Sport BILD, Newcastle United and Arsenal are said to be ‘among the favourites’ in the race to sign Diaby this summer from Bayer Leverkusen.
The report states that the Magpies could afford a deal for Diaby financially, though they will face further interest in his services from the continent as Paris Saint-Germain are mooted to be keen on bringing the 23-year-old back to the Parc des Princes, where he came through as a youth product.
90min claim that Newcastle United hold a long-standing admiration towards Diaby and have been scouting him since last year alongside his teammate Mitchel Bakker.
Capology understand that Diaby earns around €43,462 (£37,769) on the books at the BayArena on a contract that runs until June 2025.
In the case of Messi, Sky Sports News detail that he will leave Paris Saint-Germain when his deal at the Ligue 1 giants expires at the end of this term.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones thinks that Messi leaving Paris Saint-Germain this summer might ‘strengthen their desire’ to acquire Diaby, thus having a knock-on effect on Newcastle United’s pursuit of the France international.
Jones said: “One of the problems with Messi leaving PSG this summer is that it might strengthen their desire to sign Diaby, and that would be bad news for the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle who have looked closely at that situation.
“In recent times we have started to see and hear about changes to the philosophy of PSG when it comes to signings and when Messi does leave I don’t think it’ll be a case of replacing him with another superstar, I think it will be a situation where they look to sign talent of Diaby’s type.
“There has been a level of interest there for some time but the conditions for him to arrive just haven’t been right and I do wonder if that now changes.
“He was born in Paris and contacts I speak to in France keep telling me about the fact they’re finding more players with that home connection is an important aspect of how they move forward.”
Would Moussa Diaby be a good signing for Newcastle United?
Diaby has enjoyed another strong campaign for Bayer Leverkusen, registering 14 goals and 11 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.
WhoScored also gather that the 23-year-old has obtained an average match rating of 7.13/10 for his exploits on the pitch, making him Bayer Leverkusen’s third-most consistent performer this term behind Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong.
As per FBRef, Diaby has also excelled in providing opportunities to his teammates, racking up a total of 132 shot-creating actions for his side.
Despite stiff competition for his signature, Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe will be desperate to land Diaby in the summer window as he would be a statement signing heading into next season.
