An agonising end to the season has blown Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes far from their reach after dominating the majority of the campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s side lead the pack for 248 days this term, yet a sour April and damning home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion has all but shattered their dreams of claiming their first league title since 2004.
While it has been a successful season away from the title charge, claiming their first Champions League finish since 2015/16, the Gunners are reportedly looking to push on to new heights through the summer transfer window.
With just two games left, the club are turning their attention to business as the north Londoners hope to strengthen their squad ahead of a busy schedule next campaign.
Despite scoring goals not being an issue for the Gunners, they have been linked with a forward in the pursuit to improve in all areas.
What’s the latest on Moussa Diaby to Arsenal?
Bayer Leverkusen forward Moussa Diaby is reportedly a player on Arsenal’s radar according to L’Equipe (via the Daily Mail).
It’s speculated that Paris Saint-Germain could rival the Gunners for the winger’s signature, who is believed to be valued around £65m, according to Evening Standard.
What could Moussa Diaby bring to Arsenal?
The 23-year-old has maintained a Sofascore rating of 7.18 this season, ranking him as Leverkusen’s second-highest performer in the Bundesliga.
In 31 league appearances, the Frenchman has contributed to 17 goals through eight assists and scoring nine himself on the right flank.
Once described as “electrifying” by journalist Aaron Stokes, the Leverkusen dynamo is a player being monitored by a handful of clubs, as per the aforementioned sources.
The signing of Diaby could impact Arsenal in several ways, most evidently through depth and adding goals, but also by being introduced as a player that could seriously challenge Bukayo Saka.
The Englishman has had a formidable season at the Emirates, however, he has undergone a dip in form alongside his team, perhaps somewhat attributive to the absence of William Saliba, as highlighted through a graphic presented on Sky Sports.
Since March the forward’s rate of shots on target has dipped from 0.9 to 0.4 per 90 minutes, as well as his total shots minimising from 2.6 to 1.7.
With few options on the flanks, Saka has not lost his place in the starting eleven, which brings the topic of depth and ability to chop and change if players aren’t performing in order to boost their level of competition.
The success of competition is evident on the opposite flank, where after being dropped for Leandro Trossard against Aston Villa, Gabriel Martinelli was introduced and scored in a change that inspired the squad to win on the day.
Diaby, like Saka, has been integral to his side’s success this season, with the two players sharing many comparisons in their game.
Both enjoy being on the ball, with the Arsenal man averaging 54.5 touches per game to Diaby’s 42, and the Englishman maintaining a 48% successful dribble rate (1.7 per game) to the Leverkusen winger’s 51% (1.5 per game), relative to their appearances this season, as per Sofascore.
The signing of the Leverkusen "demon" – as once highly regarded by 'The Euro Expert' Alex Barker – would not only strengthen Arsenal’s squad but provide options for starting places to fuel competition amongst the forward’s to ultimately enhance performance, only time will tell if Arteta can get his man.
