---
title: "Newcastle: Sky Sports man admits Moussa Diaby’s form has dipped since summer interest"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-united-transfer-rumours-nufc-moussa-diaby-sky-sports/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Aaron Hindhaugh"
section: "Newcastle United News"
published: "2023-01-09T20:40:16Z"
modified: "2023-01-09T20:40:16Z"
---

# Newcastle: Sky Sports man admits Moussa Diaby’s form has dipped since summer interest

**Broadcaster Kevin Hatchard has claimed [Newcastle United](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-united-news/) transfer target Moussa Diaby’s form has dipped since they attempted to sign the winger.**

### The Lowdown: Newcastle looking for attacking reinforcements

[The Magpies were interested](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/07/14/newcastle-abandon-alexander-isak-moussa-diaby-moves-transfer/?utm_content=football&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1657808890) in Diaby over the summer but walked away once they realised Bayer Leverkusen were demanding a hefty price that they weren’t keen to budge on.

Since then, Newcastle have brought in [Alexander Isak](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/tag/alexander-isak/) for £60m, so a move for Diaby this month is perhaps unlikely, although [BILD](https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/bayer-leverkusen/bayer-leverkusen-schnellster-liga-spieler-im-glueck-moussa-diaby-ist-wieder-papa-82466310.bild.html?t_ref=https%3A%2F%2Fm.bild.de%2Fsport%2Ffussball%2Fbayer-leverkusen%2Fbayer-leverkusen-schnellster-liga-spieler-im-glueck-moussa-diaby-ist-wieder-papa-82466310.bildMobile.html) in Germany is reporting that PIF remain keen on landing the winger later this year.

However, they will likely only move for Diaby if his price tag has come down, which it should have given he would have one year less on his contract, and with just [nine league goal involvements](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/moussa-diaby/leistungsdaten/spieler/395516) this season, he may not warrant as hefty a fee.

### The Latest: PIF remain keen on Diaby

Diaby certainly still has huge potential given how young he is, but Hatchard hinted [live on Sky Sports](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjEfvIC8_Mk) that a deal may have to wait until the summer for Newcastle.

He said: “German media \[are\] talking about \[Diaby\], not for this window, but saying that Newcastle are still very much interested. They were heavily linked with him in the summer.

“He hasn’t had the best of seasons, but nor have Leverkusen – they’ve been hopeless for most of the campaign. So he’s definitely dipped, but there’s great potential there.

“When he’s at the top level, he is explosive; really quick, fun player to watch.”

[Newcastle news!](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/)

### The Verdict: Diaby to take Magpies to the next level

[It was reported](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/07/14/newcastle-abandon-alexander-isak-moussa-diaby-moves-transfer/?utm_content=football&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1657808890) over the summer that Leverkusen were wanting around £60m for Diaby, which was fair enough given he was coming off the back of a campaign that saw him register [17 goals and 14 assists](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/moussa-diaby/leistungsdaten/spieler/395516/plus/0?saison=2021) across all competitions.

If [Eddie Howe](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/tag/eddie-howe/) could get that tune out of Diaby on Tyneside, he could seriously improve the Toon’s fortunes because he would likely replace fellow countryman [Allan Saint-Maximin](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/tag/allan-saint-maximin/), who has found starts [difficult to come by](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/allan-saint-maximin/leistungsdaten/spieler/272642) this season.

Diaby is a bit younger than Saint-Maximin and is seemingly more effective when it comes to goal involvements [when comparing the two](https://fbref.com/en/stathead/player_comparison.cgi?request=1&sum=0&comp_type=by_type&dom_lg=1&spec_comps=big_5&player_id1=aeed5c06&player_id2=2b16cb1a), but any such move could depend on whether or not the former wishes to depart for regular first-team football or if wishes to try and develop his game under Howe.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”418867″\]