Moussa Diaby celebrates after scoring (Getty Images)
As per a report from Le10 Sport (h/t The Sun), Arsenal are keen on signing Bayer Leverkusen youngster Moussa Diaby in the summer. The winger is valued at £26.8m by the Bundesliga outfit.
The 20-year-old winger is a product of the Paris Saint-Germain academy. Having risen rapidly through the youth ranks at the club, Diaby broke into the first-team in 2018 after a brief loan spell at Italian club Crotone.
Diaby made 34 appearances for PSG, scoring four goals and setting up seven. Last summer saw the youngster make the switch to Bayer Leverkusen in search of more regular first-team action. Till date, he has featured 27 times in all competitions for the German heavyweights, bagging five goals and assisting eight.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have had a difficult 2019/20 campaign. Having started on a poor note, the Gunners let go of Unai Emery in December, with Mikel Arteta replacing him in the managerial hotseat.
There have been some improvements in performances under the Spaniard, but they are sitting ninth in the Premier League, with there being a real possibility of no European football at the Emirates next season. In addition, they have already crashed out of the Europa League.
So, it is imperative that Arteta & co. strengthen their squad next summer if they are to better their performances. Defence remains a concern for Arsenal, but they should also consider boosting their attacking unit before the new season.
They have scored 40 goals in the Premier League this season, which is the third-lowest in the top half of the Premier League table. 17 of those have come from captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, indicating their over-reliance on the Gabonese striker. Furthermore, the 30-year-old has been heavily linked with a summer exit, which would leave Arsenal even more toothless in attack.
Apart from Aubameyang, youngster Gabriel Martinelli has impressed heavily for the Gunners in the final third. Club record signing Nicolas Pepe though, has failed to make the desired impact since arriving last summer. Whereas Alexandre Lacazette’s form has nosedived in 2019/20.
Hence, Arsenal should look to reinforce their attack this summer. And Leverkusen’s Diaby represents a young and dynamic addition to the squad.
The 20-year-old’s career graph is on the upward curve, with him bettering his goal and assist tally from last season already despite having played lesser matches. Diaby was one of the stars this past weekend when Bundesliga returned to action. He assisted two goals in Leverkusen’s 4-1 win against Werder Bremen.
Capable of playing on either flank, the youngster would equip Arteta with additional options in the final third, while adding more depth and quality to the squad.
Arsenal have been heavily reliant on Aubameyang in the attacking third this season. And with his future at the club uncertain, it is important that Arteta strengthens his squad this summer. And while Diaby wouldn’t be a like-to-like replacement, the youngster would add more quality and depth to the Gunners’ squad.
The 20-year-old has shown great potential over the past two years. And there is a good chance that he would thrive under Arteta, who has shown that he will back youngsters in his short time as manager.
