Newcastle "are interested" in "electric" £60m gem who's "fun to watch", he's ASM 2.0 – opinion

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Moussa Diaby in the summer transfer window…

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has revealed that Bayer Leverkusen can be tempted into cashing in on the winger if they receive the right bid – up to €70m (£60m) – in the coming weeks.

He Tweeted: “Update #Diaby: Leverkusen wants to keep him! But the player can imagine to make the next step. He is not unsellable. Bayer could be open for offers around €60-70m and more. But no offers so far. #NUFC and #PSG are interested.”

Eddie Howe can land the next Saint-Maximin for the Toon by securing a deal to sign Diaby before the end of the window.

The Leverkusen man, like the Magpies’ number 10, is a skilful French winger who likes to make things happen in the final third. Former BeIN and Bundesliga employee Jack Grimse once described the 22-year-old as “electric” and “fun to watch“, whilst journalist Mark Douglas has previously dubbed Saint-Maximin a “joy to watch“.

Both players get supporters off their seats in excitement with their direct and quick wing play, although the end product still leaves a bit to be desired from the Newcastle man.

In the Premier League last season, the ex-OGC Nice winger managed five goals and five assists in 35 appearances – averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.94.

Whilst this is not a dreadful return from the forward, this tally looks lacklustre in comparison to the Leverkusen dynamo’s form in Germany.

Diaby enjoyed a phenomenal campaign in the Bundesliga. The attacker plundered an astounding 13 goals and 12 assists as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.07.

This shows that he has the quality and composure in the final third to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis at the top level,