Journalist Ben Jacobs has been speaking on the NUFC Matters YouTube channel about how much Newcastle United could sign Moussa Diaby for.
The Magpies have reportedly held a strong interest in Diaby this summer, although previous reports had claimed that his £60m price tag is set to be a stumbling block for PIF, who will be looking to hand Eddie Howe reinforcements in the attacking third this summer.
Thus far, Newcastle have only brought in defensive players this transfer window, but their attention will now surely move to the attacking third, with the likes of Diaby and Armando Broja being tipped with moves.
Jacobs believes that Bayer Leverkusen may well be willing to accept a lower offer for Diaby.
He said: “Bayer Leverkusen will sell Diaby – that’s the first thing to say. I do expect him to go somewhere during this window, and many believe that the fee is not something Newcastle United will be prepared to pay.
Will Newcastle manage to sign Diaby?
Yes!
No!
“But don’t be surprised as Newcastle United determine if they’re going to table a formal offer – and that’s still being deliberated – if actually, the final price he goes for, the base fee I’m specifically talking about, is a lot, lot cheaper than is being reported.
“So I think this is very much going to be a £50-55m all-in deal with a base fee of around £40m, and that means that Newcastle might end up paying that £15m if they qualify for Europe or based on a high amount of appearances, but they’ll be able to obviously delay any kind of significant outlay.”
TIF Thoughts on interest in Diaby…
It’s no surprise that Newcastle are very much interested in Diaby, as he’s only 22 years old, already a French international and put up very impressive numbers last season, including 17 goals and 14 assists across all competitions.
However, considering Newcastle have already splashed out over £50m on new signings, it would appear very unlikely that PIF would sanction a £60m arrival this summer on top, so there is certainly work to be done in terms of getting the price tag down significantly, though at least Jacobs suggests this is could become a possibility.