Aston Villa are reportedly pursuing Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby in the transfer window, and he could replace his former teammate Leon Bailey at Villa Park.
Bailey has had a mixed spell at Villa, and recent reports have claimed he could leave the club this summer.
With a bid reportedly going in for Diaby, Unai Emery and Monchi are clearly being proactive in the market, and the 24-year-old could prove to be a direct upgrade on Bailey.
Villa qualified for Europe for the first time since 2010, and are targeting high-profile signings to mark their comeback and to remain competitive on all fronts. Diaby would arrive with experience in Europe, as well as star quality that can take them to the next level.
How do Diaby and Bailey compare?
Both players are of a similar age and calibre, with both having played for Bayer Leverkusen, but Diaby provided over double the number of goals and assists in the Bundesliga than Bailey did in the Premier League last season.
Diaby’s 17 goal and assist combinations in 33 league appearances dwarfs Bailey’s eight in 33, and it is clear that Diaby possesses better end product.
However, Bailey ranks as significantly better in the air, and if either are chosen to play through the middle, he could give Emery some more tactical flexibility.
Diaby ranks significantly higher for his passing and dribbling, and he could provide both more consistency as well as more quality to the side than Bailey, and with Emery wanting to raise the level of his team, trading one winger out for the other could help them make the step-up.
It remains to be seen whether Villa can strike a big-money deal for Diaby, but if the Frenchman does arrive, then he negates the need to have Bailey in the squad, with the younger option able to add more in front of goal than the Jamaican.
