Aston Villa are the latest club to join Arsenal in the race for Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, according to a report.
The Daily Mail report that Aston Villa have become the latest club to express an interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby, making a check on the Frenchman’s situation this summer.
Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery is keen to add a winger to his Villa squad, though Leverkusen are looking for £50m to sell. As it stands, that would be a club-record deal for Villa.
The Mail add that Diaby has also attracted interest from Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Manchester United in the Premier League, adding that the Gunners are still looking at bringing in one more attacking option this summer.
Loic Tanzi reported for L’Equipe last month that whilst Diaby is a priority target for Newcastle United, they aren’t a priority for him.
The suggestion was that Newcastle had fallen behind Arsenal in convincing the player to join them in a summer transfer.
RMC Sport added that both Arsenal and Newcastle were particularly interested in the move, and that the Gunners made a firm offer for Diaby on the last day of the 2022 summer window.
The Evening Standard previously reported that Arsenal had looked at Diaby in the winter window, but Leverkusen didn’t want to let him go mid-season.
The Daily Mail claimed Diaby is one of Arsenal’s key targets, with Mikel Arteta looking to add a versatile attacker to his squad if possible.
But links appeared to fade as Arsenal agreed a new contract for Reiss Nelson, seemingly putting the pursuit of a wide forward on the backburner.
The French media clearly remain convinced that Arsenal are still in the race for Diaby, but Aston Villa are their latest rival for the transfer.
Diaby is under contract with Leverkusen until 2025, and he managed 14 goals and 11 assists in 2022/23, bringing him to 49 goals and 48 assists in 172 games for Bayer Leverkusen overall.
The 23-year-old is also a France international, and he can play on either wing.
