Julien Laurens has claimed on the latest episode of the Transfer Talk podcast that Newcastle United still want to sign Moussa Diaby.
It has been previously reported that Newcastle hold a keen interest in the Frenchman, who managed to record 31 goal involvements last season. However, the Magpies were reportedly quoted £60m for the winger, something they baulked at.
Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes has claimed that the German outfit are not looking to sell Diaby this summer, which is no surprise considering that they are set to embark on an adventure into the Champions League this upcoming season.
Despite those comments and the price tag, Laurens believes that the Magpies still want to sign Diaby.
Is £60m too much for Diaby?
Yes!
No!
He said: “I think they would want to keep Moussa at the club, but Newcastle, for example, are pushing, really pushing; they can offer a lot of money for him. And now that he’s a French international as well, I think that the price has gone up a little bit. Also, I think he wants maybe to be rewarded a little bit for the great season that he had last season.”
TIF Thoughts on Newcastle’s interest in Diaby…
Bringing in someone such as Diaby would be a very exciting signing, with the 22-year-old having racked up the 11th-most shot-creating actions in the Bundesliga last season and managed to score 17 domestic goals, so he would bring a huge goal threat to the side.
For Newcastle to potentially have two French wingers in their side in the form of Allan Saint-Maximin and Diaby would surely be a mouthwatering prospect for the Magpies, and with Pete Graves claiming on the same podcast (59:55) that PIF haven’t set a budget for Eddie Howe, they may feel £60m could be a good deal in the long term.
Meanwhile, insider Dean Jones has hailed the possible signing of Diaby as he believes it would be a big addition to Eddie Howe’s options, saying: “This is the kind of statement I think Newcastle fans would like to see them make,” so perhaps his hefty price tag is one worth paying for the Toon.