Arsenal 'Make Contact' With Agent of Impressive Bayer Leverkusen Winger Moussa Diaby

The return of the Bundesliga this past weekend was a welcome relief to us all, after months of inactivity because of the coronavirus.

So it's almost inevitable that the players who took part in matches across Germany are now taking centre stage with the media, propelled into the limelight as we clamour to praise, criticise and identify the next world beater.

Take Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby for example.

He'd been quietly going about his business at the BayArena this season to relatively little fanfare. That was partly because Bayer were in pretty ordinary form at the back end of 2019, but they've now chalked up 22 points from a possible 27 this calendar year.

So when you start winning, people start talking. And after Leverkusen's romping 4-1 win over Werder Bremen on Monday night, Le10 Sport have been doing the talking.

The French media outlet claim that Diaby, who has made just 12 starts in the league this season, is being lined up by Arsenal and Mikel Arteta. His agent is said to have 'excellent relations' with the Gunners' hierarchy, which could help the club negotiate a reduced asking price, and the two parties are even said to have 'made contact' over a possible move.

Borussia Dortmund are also thought to be in the hunt to sign Diaby, as they look to identify targets who could replace Manchester United linked Jadon Sancho.

20-year-old Diaby, who is just another example of young local talent allowed to depart Ligue 1 dominators Paris Saint-Germain, is rumoured to have a price tag of £26.8m. It's unclear where that valuation has come from at this stage, as he doesn't have a release clause written into his Leverkusen contract - nor does he have a vast amount of experience under his belt.

In terms of what Diaby would offer Arsenal, he's a versatile, two-footed winger with an excellent turn of pace. His crisp passing and crossing ability were evident in Bayer's win in Bremen on Monday, and it's easy to see why Arteta's side would be linked with a player who clearly has ability when the ball is at his feet.

But Arsenal's financial troubles are well documented. The huge outlay on record signing Nicolas Pepe, as well as the near £30m signing of William Saliba, has put a huge dent in the club's finances, and that position has worsened further because of the reduced income that football's postponement has brought about.

If a deal were to be done, Arsenal's chiefs would have to excel at the negotiating table - and departures would almost certainly be needed in order to alleviate any financial concerns.