Unai Emery and Aston Villa have moved ahead in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s French international winger Moussa Diaby after lodging a €50m bid yesterday, according to L’Équipe.
The 24-year-old former PSG player, whose contract in Germany runs until 2025, has been highly sought after for some time, particularly in England, with Champions League-bound Newcastle United being long-term admirers. Villa’s offer meanwhile, which could become a club record fee, includes a €45m base fee and €5m in bonuses, which are described as easily achievable.
The Bundesliga club is yet to respond to the proposal and may wait for a new offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, who recently signed Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo Brozović. The latest offer from the Saudi Pro League side was slightly lower at €43m, but the sports daily report that the club’s representatives say they are able to increase their offer.
Diaby has provided 48 assists and 49 goals across 172 games for Leverkusen since joining in 2019. The coming days will be key in deciding his future.
Adam White | GFFN