Aston Villa join Manchester United in Bayer Leverkusen forward Moussa Diaby race

Manchester United have been joined by Premier League rivals Aston Villa in the race for Bayer Leverkusen star Moussa Diaby, according to the Daily Mail (h/t Manchester Evening News).

The France international has caught a lot of people’s attention with his performances in Germany over the years. Now, the forward has decided to part ways with the Bundesliga outfit in the ongoing transfer window to start a new chapter in his career.

To that end, the Red Devils and the Villans are eyeing a move for the 24-year-old. However, Arsenal and Newcastle United also have him on their radar.

Leverkusen signed Diaby in the summer of 2019 from Paris Saint-Germain. Since then, the French national has been a key player for the Bay Arena side.

In the last few seasons, the forward has developed a keen eye for goal. The 24-year-old found the back of the net 14 times and provided 11 assists in 48 appearances in all competitions in the previous campaign under Xabi Alonso.

Villa turned things around in the 2022/23 term after appointing Unai Emery in their dugout. The Spanish manager got the best out of Ollie Watkins in the attack. However, Leon Bailey and Philippe Coutinho have failed to live up to expectations at the Villa Park side.

As for United, Erik ten Hag counted on Antony on the right wing last season. The Brazilian had a mixed first year in Manchester. In the 23-year-old’s absence, the gaffer did not count on the likes of Anthony Elanga, Facundo Pellistri and Jadon Sancho to play on the right-hand side of the attack.

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Therefore, we could evidently do with a bit more quality in depth and add competition to try and bring the best out of Antony. However, it remains to be seen whether the Old Trafford side will opt to pursue Diaby’s signature.