Aston Villa are reportedly planning to submit an improved offer to Bayer Leverkusen for Moussa Diaby, after our initial €35m+ bid was rejected.
Speculation has increased in recent days in regards to our search for attacking reinforcements, with a string of names being linked with a move to join us.
READ MORE: Interest expressed in Villa ace but key obstacle to exit likely
Diaby, 24, is seemingly emerging as our top option to address that area of the squad, having continued to impress for Leverkusen last season where he has now scored 49 goals and provided 48 assists in 172 appearances for the club.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Villa are planning to bid again for the French international, with negotiations ongoing between the two clubs as they try to reach an agreement on terms after our initial €35m plus add-ons proposal was turned down.
It’s added that Diaby has already approved of the move, and so it remains to be seen if we can secure a breakthrough in talks in the coming days to ensure he edges closer to becoming our third signing of the summer.
Unai Emery has already seen his defensive and midfield options bolstered with the arrivals of Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans respectively, and so with a lack of quality competition and depth in the wide areas and in the final third, Diaby could potentially emerge as an important solution in attack.
With his pace, creativity, eye for goal and versatility to play across the pitch in attack, he could prove to be an excellent addition to the squad, especially as we look to compete on multiple fronts next season and try to bring in competition and support for the likes of Emiliano Buendia and Ollie Watkins.
Given Philippe Coutinho’s injury problems last season and the inconsistency of the likes of Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore, it’s certainly an area of the squad that we can improve in. Time will tell if Diaby emerges as the new signing to make us a more potent attacking threat in the upcoming campaign.
