Manchester United are now keeping tabs on Moussa Diaby – but it's unclear how they'll act on the interest until their ownership situation is sorted, according to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg.
Are Man United signing Moussa Diaby?
The Bayer Leverkusen man has been excellent this year in Germany, with nine goals and eight assists so far in the Bundesliga, having played on both flanks and also as a second striker at times. Regardless of position, he has been able to continually hit the back of the net – and that is something United will want in their own frontline.
The Red Devils have already made it clear that they want to add another midfielder and a striker to their ranks this summer, with the club desperate to add more goals to their ranks. With only Marcus Rashford managing above ten efforts in the Premier League this season, it means Erik ten Hag could certainly use another option in that forward line to pillage some goals.
Now, it appears their search for a forward option could have led them to Diaby. According to Plettenberg, the Red Devils are monitoring his current situation and are keeping tabs on the player. However, it appears that is as far as the interest goes, and what happens next could largely depend on the ownership situation at Old Trafford.
He wrote: "He‘s on the list of @NUFC but understand that it was not advanced in the last months.
"@ManUtd is monitoring his situation instead and confirmed. Next steps depend on the club‘s ownership.
"Bayer‘s price valuation between €70-80m. Contract until 2025. Key player for Alonso."
Right now, there is a tussle for the ownership of Man United and it could drag on for a while yet. The Glazers finally appear to be willing to sell up and it has led to two bidders emerging as potential contenders to take the reins at the club.
One is Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is vying for around 69% of the club; and Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, who wants full ownership of the Red Devils. This bidding war rages on and as of yet, it is unclear who will take over and no deal has yet been completed – and it now appears to be affecting some of their transfer business, at least as far as Diaby is concerned.
Should Man United sign Moussa Diaby?
The Red Devils are certainly in need of some more goals in their ranks and Diaby would add plenty of those if his season with Bayer Leverkusen is anything to go by.
To add on to his total in the Bundesliga, he has also managed three in seven in the Europa League – showing his ability to produce on the European stage – and he has a further two in the Champions League. It shows that, regardless of the platform, he is still capable of maintaining his high standards and performing and scoring goals.
He's also been praised by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who stated that the winger has been "fantastic" in Germany since his move over to his current club.
Diaby then offers versatility in attack with his ability to play across the frontline and has also got goals in his boots – so if United did manage to make a bid for him and did opt to do so, he could be a fantastic signing for the Red Devils, but whether they are willing to part with around £61m for him remains to be seen.