Aston Villa join Arsenal in race for £50m signing
Aston Villa are the latest club to join Arsenal in the race for Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, according to a report
The Daily Mail report that Aston Villa have become the latest club to express an interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby, making a check on the Frenchman’s situation this summer.
Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery is keen to add a winger to his Villa squad, though Leverkusen are looking for £50m to sell. As it stands, that would be a club-record deal for Villa.
The Mail add that Diaby has also attracted interest from Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Manchester United in the Premier League, adding that the Gunners are still looking at bringing in one more attacking option this summer.
Loic Tanzi reported for L’Equipe last month that whilst Diaby is a priority target for Newcastle United, they aren’t a priority for him.
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The suggestion was that Newcastle had fallen behind Arsenal in convincing the player to join them in a summer transfer.
RMC Sport added that both Arsenal and Newcastle were particularly interested in the move, and that the Gunners made a firm offer for Diaby on the last day of the 2022 summer window.
The Evening Standard previously reported that Arsenal had looked at Diaby in the winter window, but Leverkusen didn’t want to let him go mid-season.
The Daily Mail claimed Diaby is one of Arsenal’s key targets, with Mikel Arteta looking to add a versatile attacker to his squad if possible.
But links appeared to fade as Arsenal agreed a new contract for Reiss Nelson, seemingly putting the pursuit of a wide forward on the backburner.
The French media clearly remain convinced that Arsenal are still in the race for Diaby, but Aston Villa are their latest rival for the transfer.
Diaby is under contract with Leverkusen until 2025, and he managed 14 goals and 11 assists in 2022/23, bringing him to 49 goals and 48 assists in 172 games for Bayer Leverkusen overall.
The 23-year-old is also a France international, and he can play on either wing.
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The 31-year-old endured an injury-hit season last year, which limited him to just 20 Premier League appearances in which he was only able to contribute one goal and no assists.
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Following Unai Emery’s appointment last November, Coutinho missed 16 of a possible 25 league games due to injury under the Spaniard, and so it was very much a bit-part role for the Brazilian playmaker in the second half of the campaign as he struggled to stay fit and showcase his ability.
“I talked with him [Coutinho] this week,” Emery told VillaTV in May. “He’s a little bit unlucky with his month because I didn’t see him play matches like I want. But, of course, with the injuries coming, we have to be patient as well, now we are going to wait for his recovery.”
That though perhaps was a telling remark from the Villa boss. He simply didn’t get the opportunity to watch and assess Coutinho at the back end of last season, which was the ultimate opportunity for the Brazilian international to make his mark and prove that he can still offer something in his team.
Coutinho is contracted to Villa through to June 2026 and so there is no immediate decision necessary on his future, but this comes down to whether or not he still fits into our plans moving forward, or if Emery is open to allowing him to leave in order to strengthen the group with his preferred option in the transfer market.
As per CBS Sports last week, Coutinho has been paired with a reunion with our former boss Steven Gerrard at Al Ettifaq, and so Villa must decide in the coming days and weeks as to whether he remains part of the squad or if we’re willing to green light an exit and move him on after a disappointing campaign, especially if a big-money offer is made.
His most recent social media posts have shown that Coutinho is taking his injury recovery and fitness very seriously this summer, but his absence at Bodymoor Heath to start this week with many of the players returning for pre-season has been noted, and has sparked further discussion over his future.
Given the level of improvement that Emery inspired and oversaw from countless individuals last season, there is still a hope and desire to see him have that same impact on Coutinho and make him a useful asset to have as we try to compete on multiple fronts next season.
If the Villa boss is still confident that he can do that, we need to see Coutinho back for pre-season sooner rather than later so he can showcase that on the pitch and importantly, prove his reliability and consistency in terms of his fitness.
Time will tell if he gets an opportunity to impress and perhaps make his last stance to secure a future at Villa. With a possible big-money offer incoming and given his limited influence last year with his injury problems though, could it be time to cash in on Coutinho this summer or should Villa give him another year to try to rediscover the form he showed when he initially joined us on loan?
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