Newcastle United have already ‘put in the hard yards’ in the race to sign Moussa Diaby.
That’s according to transfer insider Dean Jones, who has provided an update on the Magpies’ pursuit of the Bayer Leverkusen winger.
Diaby was one of Newcastle’s top targets during the summer transfer window. Around the time Sven Botman reemerged as a target, the Frenchman was seemingly the number one forward who Eddie Howe wanted at St James’ Park.
The club were linked with a winger all summer, with Diaby seemingly the top target. However, a deal couldn’t be reached.
Bayer Leverkusen wanted more than Newcastle were willing to pay, reportedly valuing him at £60million. Then the player himself came out and said he would be staying in Germany.
But Newcastle are continuing to be linked with Diaby, and scouted him last week when he scored in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid.
Dean Jones on Newcastle wanting Moussa Diaby
The Magpies will hopefully revisit their interest in Diaby, and Dean Jones has told Give Me Sport that they could have an advantage over other clubs who want to sign him.
“There will undoubtedly be competition for Diaby, he is brilliant,” he said.
“Newcastle have put in the hard yards already though so they will hope that if they want to pick up again on that transfer, they would be ahead of anyone else.”
Newcastle might have a better chance in January
During the summer, Diaby felt like an ambitious target. There were multiple reasons why a deal seemed incredibly difficult.
Firstly, Leverkusen did not want to lose a player as good as Diaby. He was amazing last season, providing 25 goal contributions. That’s why they gave him such a big price tag that ultimately put Newcastle off.
Then there’s the player. If he stayed at Leverkusen, he would be playing in the Champions League. That wasn’t going to happen at Newcastle.
There’s also the World Cup to consider. A move from Germany to England could have jeopardised Diaby’s place in the France squad if he struggled to settle in a new country.
But a deal in January might be more achievable. By then the World Cup will have come and gone. Whether or not Diaby goes remains to be seen.
It is also unknown whether Leverkusen will still be in the Champions League come the turn of the year. They’re in a group with Atletico Madrid, Porto and Club Brugge. If they don’t quality, they might be more inclined to cash in and sell Diaby.
If they do decide to let him go, there will be plenty of clubs chasing his signature. But as Jones says, Newcastle have already put in the hard yards and are well placed if they decide to make a fresh move for the talented France international.