Arsenal in talks to sign perfect Gabriel Martinelli competitor amid £53m deal
Prior to the summer transfer window, Arsenal is in contact with the agency of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Moussa Diaby. The French winger is still a target for the Gunners, who are trying to bolster their offensive options for the next campaign.
Given that Diaby’s contract is slated to expire in 2025 and that CIES Football Observatory values him at €60 million (£53 million), Leverkusen may demand a high sum for his services. The 23-year-old was allegedly interested in a summer transfer to the Arsenal from Newcastle last summer but opted to remain in Germany instead.
While Julian Brandt of Borussia Dortmund has also been mentioned as a potential transfer target for the Emirates Stadium, Diaby’s qualities and manner of play ideally complement Mikel Arteta’s offensive strategies and manner of play. If the Gunners can match Diaby’s asking price, the Leverkusen star, who has 11 goals and six assists in 32 games this season, may be a terrific acquisition.
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In his most recent CaughtOffside essay, Christian Falk stated that Arsenal is still interested in the French winger and that he may leave Leverkusen this summer. The German journalist said, “Today (Friday), I was in Leverkusen to visit Rudi Voller and Florian Wirtz. Florian Wirtz is a target for many teams in Europe but has chosen to remain at Leverkusen at least until the 2024 European Championship.
Simon Rolfes, the club’s sports director, was already in the elevator at Leverkusen’s Club Center. He admitted to knowing about the many rumors surrounding the Premier League’s interest in six of his players, some of whom I covered in my previous piece.
He made light of the fact that he now has a ton of work to do. One of the players in this column was Moussa Diaby. Arsenal remains intrigued by Diaby. The star of Bayer Leverkusen has been in touch with the team via his agency.
But it’s important to remember that Arsenal are also considering Julian Brandt of Dortmund. The club hasn’t taken a final choice about this issue.
I’m reminded of Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal, who recently found his form after being benched for a stretch of games without scoring, by Diaby’s speed and menace on the counterattack. Due to Arteta’s decision to reinstate Martinelli into the lineup, he has scored four goals in his past four Premier League games.
The 21-year-old has had a comparable production to Diaby this season, scoring 11 goals and dishing out three assists. The Leverkusen striker matches Arteta’s idea of a fluid and rapid attack since he is a flexible forward who can play on either flank or as a center-forward.