Arsenal to Face Competition From PSG to Sign Top Target Moussa Diaby

According to reports, Arsenal will face competition from Ligue 1 giants PSG for Bayer Leverkusen attacker Moussa Diaby. The North London side have marked the French international as one their top targets to boost their attacking line in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Arsenal slipped up in the Premier League title race after a series of draws and defeats. They require new personnel to improve their squad depth if want to compete for silverware next season. Manager Mikel Arteta is keen to add an attacker on the right-flank to support Bukayo Saka.

Moussa Diaby passed through the youth ranks at Paris Saint-Germain before joining Bayer Leverkusen in 2019 for a fee of €15m (£13m). Since then, he has been one of the key players for the Bundesliga side, with 49 goals and 48 assists in 172 apperances.

The 23-year-old’s performances this season has caught the eye of many top European clubs, having scored 14 goals and assisted 11 times in 48 appearances for the German side in all competitions (stats via Transfermarkt). He has a contract till June 2025, so the Gunners will have to pay a sizeable fee to secure his services.

As reported by the Evening Standard, PSG want to re-sign Moussa Diaby and are ready to challenge Arsenal for the attacker’s signature. The French club are looking at a summer rebuild, with Lionel Messi set to depart for free, while Neymar also looks likely to leave Parc des Princes at the end of this season.

Mikel Arteta is desperate to upgrade his squad and is keen to add the France international to his team. However, Arsenal will face a tough competition from PSG, with their huge spending power in the battle to sign Moussa Diaby. The Gunners have expressed interest in signing the forward since last summer.

Would you take Moussa Diaby? 💬#AFC #Arsenal pic.twitter.com/JuZZhaDdqF

— AFTV (@AFTVMedia) May 12, 2023

The North London side already made an attempt to sign the Frenchman in January after they failed in their efforts to sign Mykhailo Mudryk. However, Bayer Leverkusen rejected the move, as they did not want their star performer to leave in the middle of the season.

The Gunners eventually signed Leandro Trossard, but his natural position is on the left. They still need depth on the right-hand side to provide some rest to Bukayo Saka. The Englishman has seen a dip in form as he has played almost every game this season.

Moreover, Arsenal will need new signings as they will be playing in the Champions League next season. Diaby’s efforts have helped his team finish in sixth position in the Bundesliga, besides guiding them to the Europa League semi-finals where they lost 1-0 on aggregate.

Does Moussa Diaby Justify the Price Tag For Arsenal?

Bayer Leverkusen have slapped a £65 million price tag on the 23-year-old attacker. The German club are looking to profit heavily if a deal goes through in the summer. Paris Saint-Germain are ready to sign him for five times the fee at which they sold him in 2019.

Arsenal cannot wait another year as PSG are ready to swoop in for Moussa Diaby. Moreover, the Gunners will be participating in the Champions League for the first time since 2016. They have already faced the consequences of the lack of squad depth this season, having finished trophy-less another season.

The Frenchman is a very similar player to Bukayo Saka. He is a left-footed right-winger who uses the right channel to cut inside and plays as an inverted winger. He also sometimes hugs the touchline to make the pitch wide and has the skills to beat a defender or two.

Moreover, he has the explosiveness which can help the North London in cagey matches. Diaby has also displayed his finishing skills this season and Arteta could get even more out of him if the French winger decides to come to the Emirates Stadium.

Although Diaby does justify the price tag, the Gunners still have other areas to improve too which can hinder their chances of signing him. Nevertheless, the Arsenal board will need to back Mikel Arteta after an impressive season if they want to finally get their hands on silverware next season.

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