Newcastle United have long been linked with a move for Moussa Diaby and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.
What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Moussa Diaby?
According to reports coming out of Spain, Newcastle are now willing to pay £60m for the Bayer Leverkusen winger this summer.
As the report, the Magpies hierarchy have become obsessed with snapping up the services of the player ahead of next season and are willing to pay the price tag set by his current Bundesliga club to secure his signature.
Could Moussa Diaby replace Allan Saint-Maximin?
It is no secret that the North East club have been open to the idea of selling Allan Saint-Maximin with a reported £50m price tag being set a year ago for potential suitors to meet if they are interested in signing the player.
The Newcastle winger's talent has never been in doubt, however, the 26-year-old – dubbed "frustrating" by journalist Dominic Scurr – has tallied up 13 separate instances of illness and injury since joining the club in 2019 and although considered a crucial player in Eddie Howe's set-up is one of the more unreliable presences in the squad.
As a result, the signing of Diaby could be a breath of fresh air in the Newcastle front line and bring a new perspective to the attacking threat next season.
Over 24 league appearances, the 23-year-old ace has been phenomenal in forward areas of play, scoring eight goals, registering four assists and creating a whopping 12 big chances, as well as averaging 1.8 key passes and producing 1.2 shots on target per game.
Combine that with his tricky nature, having completed 1.2 successful dribbles and won 2.3 duels per game, it proves that he is an incredibly influential attacker on the pitch.
Not only that, Diaby ranks number one for chance creation and key passes in the entire Bundesliga, as well as ranking fifth for shots on target and eighth for crosses completed.
The talented Frenchman – who has equal experience on both the left and right wing – has been the recipient of high praise for his impact on Leverkusen's output this season, with the German club's sporting director Simon Rolfes stating:
"Moussa is an extremely quick, technically gifted attacker whose qualities are perfectly suited to our playing style. He’s one of France’s most talented players and he’s got the ideal conditions here in Leverkusen to develop into an absolutely top-class player."
With that being said, it is without a doubt that Diaby would be a major coup for Newcastle this summer and could be the key to not only selling the frustrating Saint-Maximin but also unlocking regular Champions League football and dominance in the Premier League.