Newcastle is preparing to make a bid for Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, according to L'Equipe.

Newcastle appear to be interested in the French international and is preparing a proposal for him.

Newcastle United has expressed interest in Moussa Diaby, according to the French sports publication L'Equipe. The message was published late Thursday, with the publication discussing a few French players doing it in the Bundesliga who might surprise teams this summer, including Diaby.


Moussa Diaby, 22, began his professional debut in Italy's Serie A with Crotone in 2018, when the Italian club was demoted after placing 18th in the top flight. He only played 69 minutes in two games, albeit he did start one of them.


Paris Saint-Germain snatched Diaby from Crotone in time for the 2018-19 season, and Diaby has already seen his playing time grow from 69 to a hefty 1,141 minutes of Ligue 1 action, starting 10 games for PSG and recording minutes in 25 of them.


The French youth was later signed by German club Bayer Leverkusen, who made him a regular weekly starter for three consecutive seasons, from 2020 to the just concluded 2022. In all, Diaby has played 92 games for 04 in those three years, helping the team finish fifth, sixth, and finally third in the Bundesliga, qualifying for the 2022-23 Champions League just behind Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and ahead of RB Leipzig.


Diaby is coming off a 25-goal season in which he scored 13 goals and assisted on another 12 goals. He's also developed into a reliable performer for the national team, and he's expected to play a key role in Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid later this year.


The primary worry (figuratively, not literally, given Saudi Arabia...) is that Bayer Leverkusen will not simply hand Diaby over to the first buyer who comes calling. According to sources, a £60 million baseline is possible, with significantly higher ceilings in terms of the potential transfer fee to pay. When you factor in the wages and other sign-on bonuses, the impact on the Magpies' Financial Fair Play numbers may be massive.


This is the type of player Newcastle should be looking for this summer and beyond: someone who is young, has a lot of promise, and has a bright future under the lights of St James' Park. Let's hope this becomes a reality or, at the at least, highlights how the new board is attempting to function in terms of inking transactions over the next weeks and months.