Transfer Centre

Arsenal 'make contact over Moussa Diaby move'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 17 January 2023

Arsenal reportedly make contact with Bayer Leverkusen over a move for French attacker Moussa Diaby after missing out on Mykhaylo Mudryk.

Arsenal have reportedly made contact with Bayer Leverkusen over a possible move for attacker Moussa Diaby.

The France international has enjoyed another strong campaign for the Bundesliga giants, registering eight goals and four assists in 22 games in all tournaments.

Diaby's exploits in Germany have supposedly attracted interest from the Premier League, and Newcastle United were heavily linked with a move over the summer.

The 23-year-old is under contract at Leverkusen until 2025, though, and the Magpies were quickly priced out of a move, but speculation surrounding his future is hotting up again.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona are all rumoured to be keeping tabs on Diaby's situation, but according to Sky Sports News, Arsenal have now touched base over a move.

Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby pictured in January 2021 © Reuters

However, the report adds that Leverkusen are determined to keep hold of the Frenchman in January, and they slapped a €100m (£88.4m) price tag on his head in the summer.

Diaby left Paris Saint-Germain in 2019 to sign for Leverkusen, and the attacker has since registered 43 goals and 41 assists in 146 matches for the German side across all competitions.

The 23-year-old hit double figures in both goals and assists in the 2021-22 Bundesliga season - scoring 13 times and setting up 12 more in 32 games - but he did not make the France squad for the 2022 World Cup.

Arsenal are known to be prioritising the signing of an attacker this month following injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson, the former of whom could be out until after March after undergoing knee surgery.

The Gunners were involved in long-running negotiations with Shakhtar Donetsk over a move for Mykhaylo Mudryk, but Chelsea successfully hijacked a move for the 22-year-old last week.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pictured in November 2022 © Reuters

Arsenal were willing to pay as much as €100m (£88.4m) to land Mudryk, but Shakhtar CEO Sergei Palkin has since revealed that Chelsea offered more "realistic and achievable" bonuses than the Gunners.

As a result, Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu are scouring the market for alternatives, and they are believed to have earmarked Barcelona's Raphinha as another potential target.

Arsenal and Chelsea lost out to Barcelona in the race to sign the Brazilian from Leeds United in the summer, and he supposedly has no interest in leaving the Catalan giants this month.

Orlando City winger Facundo Torres has also confirmed that Arsenal have been in talks to sign him from the MLS club, although there is not thought to be anything advanced with the Uruguayan yet.

Arsenal sit eight points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table and are next in action at home to Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.