Newcastle continue to show their threat towards Arsenal in the transfer market ahead of next season. This time around could be on the verge of stealing Arsenal’s ideal Nicolas Pepe replacement.
According to French news outlet L'Equipe, the Magpies are interested in Moussa Diaby and consider him their priority target in the summer window. The report goes on to claim that an offer should be made for the French winger soon.
This news comes after reports that the Gunners were also interested in Diaby earlier in the season. Pepe is likely to depart from the club, and Diaby certainly would have been an excellent replacement for the Ivorian - a move which has been put in doubt by Newcastle.
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Eddie Howe added Bruno Guimaraes to his team in the January transfer window, despite Arsenal also reportedly being interested in the midfielder. That decision caused unrest amongst the fanbase.
The Gunners failed to sign a midfielder in the winter window, which made losing out on Guimaraes feel even worse for fans of the north London side. He certainly would have improved Mikel Arteta’s midfield, who will be set to suffer from a lack of depth in the summer due to a number of departures in this position.
The same situation must not be repeated with Diaby. The Frenchman would be an excellent addition to the squad if Edu continues to pursue a deal. The north London side needs to make the decision whether to keep or sell Pepe at the end of the season, as he enters the territory of having less than three years left on his contract.
Keeping him beyond two years remaining on his contract will massively debunk his value and increase the threat of losing him on a free transfer which would be an absolute nightmare considering his £72million price tag.
According to Spanish news outlet Superdeporte, Sevilla have made contact with Arsenal over the signing of Pepe. The report goes on to say that the Gunners are prepared to let him leave This follows news that Pepe’s future is uncertain at the club as according to the Evening Standard, Arsenal will sit down with the winger and his agent at the end of the season to discuss his future
The Ivorian joined the club in 2019 for a club-record fee of £72million from Lille with the highest of expectations due to his success in Ligue 1, but has only contributed with 27 goals and 17 assists in three years.
If the Gunners were to sell Pepe at the end of the season, then competition alongside Saka would certainly be needed. Despite the excellent performances the Englishman has shown for Arsenal throughout the season, there has been times when he has shown signs of burnout, with Arteta admitting at the end of the season that the youngster needs rest. Having someone who can help successfully share the attacking load would certainly be beneficial.
According to SportBILD, Arsenal identified Diaby as the player who could be the ideal Pepe replacement. Bayer Leverkusen reportedly asking for €100million (£84million) for the French International. BILD added that should Diaby force a move elsewhere, and the figure could drop to €75million (£63million) instead.
The 22-year-old is enjoyed a strong season, having scored 17 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions. He would certainly be a quality signing for Arsenal, so losing out on him to Newcastle would be a big loss going into the new season.
