Kicker studies that Bayer Leverkusen are working to carry French winger Moussa Diaby back to the Bundesliga. The 27-year-old final featured for die Werkself in the 2022/23 Bundesliga marketing campaign. Diaby contested 125 German high flight fixtures over the course of 4 seasons spent enjoying for Germany’s crimson firm workforce. He netted 31 Bundesliga objectives.
Sold to Aston Villa for €55m in the summer time of 2023, Diaby finally moved to Saudi outfit Al-Ittihad one 12 months later. The 11-times-capped French worldwide’s estimated market worth has fallen considerably from its peak of €60m in December of 2023, however he’s nonetheless thought-about a €25m-valued participant.
Advertisement
Kicker studies that concrete talks with the Saudi membership have taken place, however that Benfica Lisbon and Inter Milan are additionally interested in bringing Diaby back to Europe. Leverkusen apparently contemplate the participant who as soon as featured for them to be the good complement to summer time signing Afonso Moreira, who will work on the left flank.
What would Moussa Diaby carry back to Leverkusen?
Diaby first arrived in German soccer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer time of 2019 as a extremely promising, however nonetheless comparatively uncooked, attacking expertise. His acceleration instantly rendered him considered one of the Bundesliga’s most troublesome gamers to comprise in open area. The Frenchman usually labored as a left-footed winger on both flank, attacking the outdoors lane from the left or reducing inward towards purpose from the proper.
Under Peter Bosz, Diaby shaped a part of an exceptionally quick attacking corps alongside Leon Bailey. Leverkusen’s inventive midfielders had been tasked with controlling possession and releasing the two broad gamers into area. Diaby’s potential to glide previous a number of opponents, attain the baseline and ship cutbacks made him notably harmful at any time when Bayer may break via an opponent’s first urgent line.
Advertisement
There had been however fluctuations in type throughout his early years. Diaby often struggled together with his remaining ball, ending and decision-making in opposition to opponents who defended deep. His sport steadily grew to become extra full, nevertheless, and he finally developed from a transition specialist right into a winger able to creating in opposition to extra compact defensive buildings.
The 2021/22 marketing campaign represented his most efficient Bundesliga season. Diaby scored 13 league objectives and equipped 12 assists in 32 appearances. His work alongside Florian Wirtz and Patrik Schick helped produce considered one of the German high flight’s most harmful attacking trios. Wirtz equipped the creativeness between the strains, Schick occupied the opposing centre-backs and Diaby repeatedly attacked the areas opened on both aspect of the Czech striker.
Diaby’s tempo at all times remained his defining attribute. He was clocked at 36.52 kilometres per hour throughout the 2022/23 season, the fourth-fastest pace recorded in the Bundesliga that 12 months. The measurement additionally positioned him tenth on the league’s all-time pace chart at one stage. His potential to carry the ball at shut to full dash distinguished him from gamers whose tempo primarily confirmed up in runs with out possession.
Diaby additionally developed beneath Xabi Alonso
Diaby skilled a troublesome begin to his remaining Leverkusen season as the total workforce struggled beneath Gerardo Seoane. His function modified following Xabi Alonso’s appointment in October 2022. Alonso regularly used him as considered one of the two slender attackers behind a central striker, permitting Diaby to start nearer to purpose moderately than remaining mounted to the touchline.
Advertisement
The system additionally enabled Diaby to mix extra usually with Jeremie Frimpong on the proper. Frimpong may maintain the width whereas Diaby moved into the half-space, or Diaby may pull outdoors and create room for the Dutch wing-back to assault centrally. Florian Wirtz’s return from harm added one other participant able to find Diaby’s runs and helped Leverkusen recuperate from their poor begin.
Bayer in the end reached the 2022/23 Europa League semi-finals and put collectively an prolonged unbeaten run throughout the second half of the marketing campaign. Diaby remained central to the workforce’s counterattacking risk, but in addition demonstrated that he may perform inside Alonso’s extra affected person possession buildings. He departed after producing 49 objectives and 48 assists throughout 173 aggressive appearances for the membership.
A return would subsequently contain significantly much less tactical uncertainty than a traditional switch. Diaby understands the Bundesliga, the pressures surrounding Leverkusen and the calls for of enjoying for a membership anticipated to qualify for Europe. He can function on each wings, behind a striker or as a part of a fluid entrance line.
Moreira’s projected use on the left means that Leverkusen primarily view Diaby as a right-sided attacker. From that place, the Frenchman may reduce onto his stronger left foot, assault the penalty space and supply the direct operating that continues to be troublesome to manufacture via possession alone. His versatility would however allow Leverkusen to swap flanks throughout matches or use each gamers collectively in transition-heavy fixtures.
Advertisement
The monetary construction could show decisive. Diaby’s market worth has declined since his first Leverkusen spell, however his wage and Al-Ittihad’s calls for may nonetheless render a everlasting switch troublesome. Competition from Benfica and Inter additionally offers the Saudi membership alternate options. For Leverkusen, the attraction is however clear: Diaby wouldn’t merely characterize a well-known title, however a confirmed Bundesliga attacker whose defining qualities nonetheless deal with a particular squad want.
