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Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are prepared to fork out €50 million to sign Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, who has been linked with Arsenal, according to CBS Sports journalist James Benge.
Clubs in Saudi Arabia are busy making blockbuster signings after the country stepped up efforts to boost its global image. Al-Nassr led the way by roping in Cristiano Ronaldo on a free transfer in December. They made the Portuguese icon the highest-paid player in the world (€200 million a year) to lure him to the middle east.
Al-Nassr are determined to bolster their ranks further ahead of the 2023-24 season and have already signed Marcelo Brozovic from Serie A giants Inter Milan for €18 million. The Saudi Pro League club are also working on a deal to sign Seko Fofana from Ligue 1 outfit RC Lens.
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Leverkusen winger Diaby, 24, is the latest player to be linked with a move to Mrsool Park. According to the aforementioned source, Al-Aalami have set their sights on acquiring the France international. This comes after the club pulled the plug on a deal to sign Hakim Ziyech after being not content with his medical.
Cristiano Ronaldo's employers are ready to shell out as much as €50 million to sign Diaby if the report is to be believed. However, they are not the only club interested in the winger, with Arsenal said to be long-term admirers. The Frenchman is also wanted by Aston Villa and Napoli.
Arsenal's Premier League rivals, Aston Villa, have had an offer worth €35 million plus add-ons rejected by Leverkusen for Diaby, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Birmingham outfit remain in talks over a deal for the former Paris Saint-Germain man, who is ready to move to Villa Park.
FIFA ban could hinder Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr's plans to sign Arsenal target Moussa Diaby
Although a €50 million bid would dwarf Aston Villa's offer, Al-Nassr have another issue to solve before being able to sign Moussa Diaby. FIFA recently banned Cristiano Ronaldo's employers from registering new players as a result of not paying Leicester City a part of the transfer fee for Ahmed Musa.
Al-Nassr signed Musa from Leicester for around €16.4 million in 2018 but still owe the Foxes €456,000. The Riyadh-based club have to pay up the rest of the amount to get the ban lifted and register new players. It could thus hinder their plans to sign the Arsenal-linked attacker.
Diaby has been a key player for Bayer Leverkusen since joining them from PSG for €15 million in 2019. The left-footed winger has made 172 appearances across competitions for the Bundesliga club, bagging 49 goals and 48 assists.
The Frenchman believes the time is right to leave Leverkusen and take up another challenge. However, it remains to be seen if he will accept a move to Saudi Arabia amidst interest from the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa.
