---
title: "Newcastle United: Magpies want to break transfer record for Moussa Diaby"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/bayer-leverkusen-reluctant-sell-moussa-diaby-newcastle-united-record-transfer-eddie-howe/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Will Seager"
section: "Newcastle United News"
published: "2022-06-01T10:10:53Z"
modified: "2022-06-01T10:10:53Z"
---

# Newcastle United: Magpies want to break transfer record for Moussa Diaby

**Bayer Leverkusen are reluctant to sell winger Moussa Diaby despite [Newcastle United](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-united-news/)’s willingness to break their transfer record for the 22-year-old, claims journalist Graeme Bailey.**

### **The Lowdown: Great season for Diaby**

The France international enjoyed a fantastic campaign in the Bundesliga, having scored [13 goals and producing 12 assists across 32 matches](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/moussa-diaby/leistungsdaten/spieler/395516).

Impressively, only [Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller and RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku](https://www.90min.com/posts/bayer-leverkusen-determined-to-keep-moussa-diaby-despite-newcastle-interest) created more goals than the Leverkusen man.

After arriving in Germany in 2019 as a teenager, Diaby quickly established himself as a [key player for Bayer 04](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/05/27/newcastle-eye-swoop-bayer-leverkusen-winger-moussa-diaby/), and he has now helped his club qualify for the Champions League with a [third-place finish in the Bundesliga](https://www.skysports.com/bundesliga-table) this season.

### **The Latest: Bailey’s news**

Taking to [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GraemeBailey/status/1531327172820049922), transfer [insider](https://twitter.com/GraemeBailey?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor) Bailey shared the latest news involving Diaby’s future in the Bundesliga, claiming:

“Bayer Leverkusen determined to keep Moussa Diaby despite Newcastle interest.”

In the adjacent [90min article](https://www.90min.com/posts/bayer-leverkusen-determined-to-keep-moussa-diaby-despite-newcastle-interest), Bailey reports that Newcastle would be willing to break their transfer record and pay over £50m for Diaby after glowing reports from their scouts. However, he claims that this may not be enough.

Diaby does not have a release clause in his contract, and it is believed Leverkusen have [made it clear](https://www.90min.com/posts/bayer-leverkusen-determined-to-keep-moussa-diaby-despite-newcastle-interest) to any interested parties that they are not going to entertain offers for the Frenchman.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”398104″\]

### **The Verdict: Would be a fantastic signing**

With Eddie Howe on the hunt for a direct winger who is clinical in front of goal, Diaby’s underlying stats illustrate why he would be a perfect fit for the Tyneside club.

As per [FB Ref](https://fbref.com/en/players/aeed5c06/Moussa-Diaby), the 22-year-old ranks in the 94th percentile for assists, in the 91st percentile for non-penalty goals, and in the 85th percentile for non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists, when compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year.

Described by Wolfsburg striker Nils Petersen as “[incredibly dangerous and difficult to stop”](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/moussa-diaby-like-lightning-with-a-run-up), it is easy to see why Newcastle are so keen on signing the France international.

However, this deal won’t be easy to make, and it seems it will take a substantial fee to make Leverkusen budge and get the signing across the line.

***In other news: [Newcastle United: Magpies target Hugo Ekitike ‘told’ he can leave Reims](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-united-news/newcastle-united-target-hugo-ekitike-leaving-reims-transfers-eddie-howe/)***