Moussa Diaby has admitted that it has been 'nice' to be linked with 'big clubs' like Newcastle United but the Bayer Leverkusen forward is not thinking about his future just yet.
Newcastle are interested in signing the highly-rated France international, who has lit up the Bundesliga, and it is easy to see why. As well as possessing lightning pace, crucially, Diaby has an end product to match and that lethal combination has certainly not gone unnoticed. One of Eddie Howe's priorities in the coming months, after all, is to bring in more firepower and Diaby has been directly involved in 32 goals for Leverkusen this season.
Although the club's takeover has changed the sort of player Newcastle can attract, particularly after staying up, signing a target like Diaby may be easier said than done. Diaby still has three years left to run on his contract and Leverkusen are under no pressure to sell, particularly after qualifying for the Champions League.
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Also, although Newcastle will strengthen the squad with a number of quality additions in the coming months, the owners are conscious of complying with the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations. Therefore, the Magpies are going to have to be particularly smart to address a number of areas in the squad while allowing room for additional investment in the years to come.
It is also worth bearing in mind that Diaby, who wants to play in the Champions League, has not ruled out staying at Leverkusen for another season and the 22-year-old will sit down with his agent and his family later this month. In the meantime, Diaby is just focused on France's upcoming Nations League games against Denmark, Croatia, Austria and Croatia.
"It's nice to hear my name being linked to big clubs, but I'm focused on getting together to do good things here [with France]," he told reporters at a national team press conference. "Then we will see what happens but, right now, I'm not thinking about it too much."
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