Newcastle United tried to sign Moussa Diaby during the summer transfer window, and could now revisit him in January.
That is according to Give Me Sport, who state that the Magpies have continued to monitor the Bayer Leverkusen winger.
The report states Newcastle believe the Frenchman could now be more open to a move away from the German side, with the Magpies set to ‘check on’ Diaby while they wait to see if they can sign James Maddison.
They were two key targets for Newcastle during the summer, both at different times of the window.
At the beginning, Diaby looked like he was going to be the Magpies’ marquee arrival, with Eddie Howe keen to sign a winger. There was even reported confidence that he would arrive at St James’ Park according to the Northern Echo.
But that didn’t happen, and Newcastle were forced to look elsewhere. That brought them to James Maddison, a different player who could fill the same role. Dan Ashworth made two bids for the Leicester midfielder, but they were both rejected.
The 26-year-old has been relentlessly linked with Newcastle since the summer, but talk of a new move for Diaby has been a bit quieter.
However, the 23-year-old could now be back on the Magpies’ radar going into January.
Newcastle could revisit ‘dream signing’ Diaby
It would be no surprise if Newcastle did make a fresh move for Diaby. The Athletic described him as the club’s ‘dream signing’ earlier in the year, while Howe is still looking to sign a wide forward after failing to get one in the summer.
Diaby looked like he would be an exceptional acquisition before the start of the season. He was linked with a move to St James’ Park on the back of his best season ever. He got 25 league goal contributions in total as he helped Leverkusen qualify for the Champions League.
That is why the Bundesliga club wanted so much money for him, with the Telegraph claiming that he was valued at £60million.
However, it is unclear whether they will still be able to command as high a fee. Diaby has been nowhere near the same level this campaign. His goal contributions are much lower – although he has still been impressive with eight goals and four assists in all competitions.
Whether he is still valued at £60million remains to be seen, but he will surely command a fee of at least £40million. He isn’t going to come cheap.
That could make a Newcastle move difficult, as it has been reported that the Toon owners will not be making any major signings in January.