Arsenal set to face competition from Premier League club in race to sign 23-year-old forward: Reports

Arsenal are reportedly to face competition from Aston Villa for Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby's signature this summer.

As per Daily Mail, Villans manager Unai Emery is looking to strengthen his side after an excellent second half of the 2022-23 season. From battling relegation, Aston Villa qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League following Emery's appointment in October last year.

They're now looking to bolster their attack and have identified Diaby as a target. The French winger has been excellent for Bayer Leverkusen since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019. The 23-year-old has scored 49 goals and provided 48 assists in 172 games across competitions.

Villa, though, aren't the only team interested in Diaby, with Arsenal monitoring the winger for a while. As per RMC Sport, the Gunners have been interested in the Frenchman since last summer and also made an offer for him.

The north London side qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 2016-17 season. Hence, they're looking to strengthen their squad as they look to compete in four competitions.

Reiss Nelson recently signed a new contract at Arsenal, which could throw a spanner in Diaby's potential move to the Emirates. That could also clear the path for Aston Villa, but Bayer Leverkusen are demanding £50 million, which would be Villa's record transfer.

Newcastle United and Manchester United have also been linked with a move for Diaby.

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RB Leipzig interested in Arsenal's Folarin Balogun

As per BILD, RB Leipzig are interested in signing Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun this summer.

The USMNT striker came through the Gunners academy but made just ten senior appearances, scoring two goals and providing one assist. He spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Stade Reims and performed brilliantly.

Balogun finished fourth in the Ligue 1 scoring charts, behind Kylian Mbappe, Alexandre Lacazette and Jonathan David, with 21 goals. He was joint-fourth with Lens forward Lois Openda.

Incidentally, Openda was Leipzig's first choice for a transfer this summer. However, they have had four bids rejected for the striker, with the final one being €43.5 million. The German side have now turned their attention to Balogun, who they hope to sign for less than €43.5 million.

With the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli in their ranks, Arsenal are looking to part ways with Balogun. However, the Gunners have put a price tag of around €63 million on the USMNT striker.