Some big claims have emerged on Moussa Diaby this morning – the man believed to be Newcastle United’s ‘top target’ in our search for a new right-winger.
According to Graeme Bailey at 90min, the club are set to launch a ‘record-breaking’ bid for the 22-year-old, stating that Toon officials have been working on this move for some time.
He also claims that Newcastle are confident they’ll get their man, believing an offer ‘in excess of £40m’ – our current transfer record – could be enough to tempt Bayer Leverkusen into a sale.
Elsewhere, the same piece states that Eddie Howe also has ‘significant interest’ in Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi and Everton’s Anthony Gordon, suggesting these are two back-up options we could pursue if we fail to land Diaby.
Hudson-Odoi will slip down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge should the Blues sign the likes of Raheem Sterling and Raphinha, while Gordon is someone Everton will be reluctant to sell as a local lad who’s burst onto the first-team scene over the past 12 months.
However, it seems our main focus and leading target is Diaby, the exciting Frenchman who bagged an outstanding 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions last season.
Fresh claims of a club-record bid will be taken with a pinch of salt by some, however it is worth noting that Bailey was the first to report on our interest in Ekitike and the first journalist to reveal a deal had collapsed…
