Newcastle United are reportedly ready to break their transfer record to land Arsenal target Moussa Diaby this summer as Eddie Howe eyes up reinforcements to his side.
The Magpies have a longstanding interest in Diaby, and were keen to make a deal work last summer, only for Bayer Leverkusen to refuse to do business with the Tyneside club.
They subsequently signed Real Sociedad forward Alexander Isak for a club record fee, who has proved excellent if injury prone in his first season at St James’ Park, with the 23-year-old signing scoring six times in ten Premier League outings.
The Swede is helping to spearhead Newcastle’s top four push, with the Magpies currently fifth but just two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham and with two games in hand on the north London outfit.
They face Manchester United this weekend, where a win would see them leapfrog the Red Devils into third place.
And, should they be able to offer European football, The Northern Echo report that they are ‘lining up a potential club-record summer move for long-standing transfer target Moussa Diaby’, with ‘a willingness’ to break their £63m record fee to land the 23-year-old.
They are not the only side keen on the in-form Frenchman, who has found the net eight times in the German top flight this season. There is also thought to be interest from Premier League leaders Arsenal, who are looking to find an alternative to Bukayo Saka, with the Englishman having started every Premier League game this season.
Out of contract in 2025 and appreciated by two of the Premier League’s financial heavyweights, this summer may represent Leverkusen’s best opportunity to extract a massive fee for their star.
