Aston Villa have reportedly raised their offer for Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, but now face competition from Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.
The winger has been targeted by Unai Emery and Monchi as a level raiser for the Villa squad, and they saw an opening bid of around £30m rejected.
However, BILD have claimed that they have raised the offer to €50m (£43m), but the Saudi side have also matched the bid, in what could become a fierce battle for his signature.
Al-Nassr already have Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo Brozovic in their squad, and now want to add younger star quality in the form of Diaby.
The report also claims that Leverkusen would prefer to keep the winger, but with two years left on his deal, a transfer now seems inevitable given the interest in him, and Diaby would prefer a new challenge in his career.
What should Villa do about Diaby?
Although he is Emery’s top target as he aims to add a dynamic winger to the squad, entering a bidding war with Al-Nassr may end badly for Villa, despite qualifying for the Conference League next season.
They have been linked with Jeremy Doku as an alternative to Diaby, and perhaps this is an option they should explore if the finances for Diaby become too steep.
Diaby, who has been described as “dangerous,” could raise the level of Villa’s attack, but it now may come down to player preference. If the Frenchman expresses his desire to move to the Premier League, and rejects the Saudi Arabian interest, then the ball will be in Villa’s court over a transfer.
If Diaby is open to a Saudi move, then the wages they could offer may blow Villa’s offer out of the water, in which case they may have to explore alternative targets like Doku.
