Arsenal suffered a major blow in the transfer window following Chelsea’s acquisition of Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk. The Gunners were advanced in their negotiations before the Blues hijacked a deal.
The situation has left the Gunners needing to search for alternatives. A new winger has been at the top of Mikel Arteta’s wishlist since the summer transfer window.
Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen has been identified as a potential option in this window. And Chelsea could player a major helping hand despite preventing the Gunners from signing their top target.
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta can get Arsenal's immediate Mykhailo Mudryk revenge on Chelsea with £100m transfer
Newcastle have seriously threatened Arsenal’s position to become a Champions League club in recent months. This has been done both on and off the pitch via the transfer market.
And this could be set to continue as the Magpies are reportedly targeting the ideal winger signing for Arsenal. According to German news outlet Bild, Newcastle are also considering a move to sign Diaby in the January transfer window.
Interest from Newcastle comes amid Sky Germany’s reports that Bayer Leverkusen forward Diaby is a topic at Arsenal. The 23-year-old Frenchman is still under contract with the Bundesliga side until 2025, so it could be an expensive deal, with the German side demanding €100million (£84million).
Eddie Howe added Bruno Guimaraes to his team in the last January transfer window, despite Arsenal also reportedly being interested in the midfielder, which caused unrest amongst the fanbase. The Gunners failed to sign a midfielder in the last winter window, which made losing out on Guimaraes feel even worse for the north London side, as he certainly would have improved Arteta’s midfield.
But, Arteta may avoid a repeat with Diaby, as 90min are reporting that Newcastle are also considering making a move for Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech this month. If this happens then it means the Magpies are unlikely to pursue Diaby as well because both players feature in the same position.
Diaby scored two goals in Europe this season and his most recent strike against European powerhouses Atletico Madrid proved pivotal as it kept Bayer Leverkusen’s hopes of remaining in Europe alive after qualifying for the Europa League knockout stage.
If Arsenal are to pursue a deal in January then they must be prepared to battle it out with potential Premier League competitions. But, with Arsenal at the top of the league, it could prove critical as a negotiation tool, alongside the help of Chelsea’s potential sale of Ziyech.
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