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Manchester United had genuine interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby to Old Trafford in the summer. According to reports, the Red Devils were even prepared to pay £45m for the French winger in the later stages of the transfer window, but a move never materialized.
United went into the summer after a strong end to the 2019/20 season and were expected to bolster their squad to challenge for the league title. Unfortunately, the Red Devils failed to impress with their summer business, making some questionable decisions that had everyone scratching their heads.
Manchester United sealed the transfer of Donny van de Beek from Ajax early in the summer. However, it went all downhill from there. The lengthy pursuit of Jadon Sancho ended in disappointment before the Red Devils panicked in the penultimate days of the window, displaying a clear lack of planning.
Fans expected United to add a winger, but that expectation was not fulfilled before the window came to a close. However, it now appears that the Red Devils had attempted – and failed – to bring Diaby to Old Trafford in the final hours of the summer window.
Manchester United could use a player like Diaby in the team
The Frenchman rose through the ranks at Paris-Saint Germain but struggled to break into the first team. He caught the eye with the Ligue 1 giants in the 2018/19 season, where he scored four goals from 34 appearances and subsequently moved to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2019.
In his debut season in the Bundesliga, Diaby managed eight goals from 39 appearances, prompting interest from teams around Europe, including Manchester United.
The Red Devils look short of ideas in the final third and there’s no denying that Diaby would have given another dimension to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team. As such, there’s every possibility that Manchester United could return for the player in January. The Red Devils could use a player like Diaby in the team, who is adaptive enough to operate on both wings.
However, with Amad Dialo set to join the club in January, it remains to be seen whether Manchester United would be willing to invest heavily in another winger in the winter.
Besides, United are expected to return for Sancho next summer, which could also influence the Red Devils’ pursuit of the Frenchman. However, with the current state of affairs at Manchester United, a move cannot be completely ruled out yet.
