PIF preparing NUFC bid for "clever" £75m phenomenon, he's better than Saint-Maximin - opinion

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Moussa Diaby heading into the summer transfer window… 

According to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), PIF are preparing a bid to bring the Bayer Leverkusen maestro to Tyneside ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the 22-year-old has been made a priority target for the Magpies, who are set to battle it out with Tottenham and Arsenal for his signature.

It has previously been claimed that the Bundesliga outfit could demand as much as £75m for the attacker, although it remains to be seen how much the Premier League clubs are willing to offer.

Eddie Howe can land an upgrade on Saint-Maximin by bringing his compatriot to St James’ Park in the coming weeks or months.

Diaby has enjoyed a sublime season in Germany, showcasing his ability to score and create goals from a wide position. He has proven that he can make a big impact in the final third on a consistent basis, something with which the Magpies attacker has struggled during his time at the club.

For all of his exciting dribbling and direct play on the left flank, Saint-Maximin often leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to his end product. In 35 Premier League appearances this season, the attacker produced five goals and five assists from almost 11 expected goals and assists (xG and xA) combined, underperforming on his xG by 0.66.

It was a solid return from the former Nice wizard but hardly exceptional due to his underperformance and lack of consistency throughout the campaign, averaging a goal contribution every 3.5 matches.

Meanwhile, Diaby accumulated roughly 19 xG and xA combined in the Bundesliga and ended the campaign with 13 goals and 12 assists as he overperformed in both statistics.