Newcastle’s ‘dream signing’ would now cost £80m, he wants to join Villa

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Moussa Diaby is a long-term target for Newcastle United, but now it is Aston Villa who are making a move to sign the exciting winger.

It was recently reported that Diaby wants to join a Premier League club, which led to excitement from Toon fans. The 24-year-old has been watched by Newcastle for a long time, and was even described as the Magpies’ ‘dream signing‘.

However, it was reported earlier in the summer that Diaby would be out of Newcastle’s price range. Since then, Eddie Howe’s side have pressed ahead with a move for Harvey Barnes. He now looks likely to swap the King Power Stadium for St James’ Park.

But as negotiations continue, one of Newcastle’s Premier League rivals are making a move for Diaby.

Aston Villa’s Moussa Diaby approach

It was reported earlier this month that Villa were going to make a move for the Frenchman. However, news broke on Thursday that their opening offer had been rejected by Leverkusen.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Unai Emery’s side proposed a deal worth £30million plus add-ons.

It was turned down by the Bundesliga side, but the most interesting detail from Romano was that Diaby wants to move to Villa Park.

That is a huge surprise, and will no doubt encourage Villa to make a fresh approach.

How much Bayer Leverkusen want

They will need to increase their offer, and now TalkSPORT have suggested how much they need to pay for the speedster.

According to TalkSPORT, Leverkusen want £50million up front plus £30million in add-ons to sell Diaby this summer. That means a deal would cost £80million in total.

That would break Villa’s transfer record, and it would also break Newcastle’s. It is a huge amount of money, and a lot more than what Villa initially offered.

But with the player keen on the move, you have to imagine that a compromise will be reached. That would be a blow for Toon fans, who have been eager to see Diaby head to Tyneside for more than 12 months now.

However, it currently looks like Villa Park is his most likely destination, as Newcastle focus their attention on Barnes.