A claim has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Bayer Leverkusen forward Moussa Diaby ahead of the January transfer window...

What's the talk?

Journalist Dean Jones has revealed that the Magpies love the French winger and does not believe that Dan Ashworth and Eddie Howe have a favourite between him and Leicester's James Maddison.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I don’t know if there's necessarily a priority between these two.

“They both kind of have a similar role in mind despite the fact that they're pretty different players. That right-side of the attack is something that they're looking at, it's always been the intention to bring more creativity to the frontline.

“Obviously, Alexander Isak came in, and we haven't really been able to see enough of him, but Diaby is somebody they absolutely love in what he can bring on both flanks, to be honest, and the pace, and the way runs at people.”

Allan Saint-Maximin upgrade

Ashworth could land Howe an upgrade on current Toon winger Saint-Maximin by securing a deal to sign Diaby from Leverkusen in January.

Chronicle editor Aaron Stokes previously claimed that the wide man has "electrifying pace" and is "fearless" on the ball. He has certainly used his speed to his advantage in the Bundesliga, proving to be on fire since the start of last season.

Diaby, who has been valued at £60m, plundered an eye-catching 13 goals and 12 assists in 32 matches in the German top-flight last term. He created 15 'big chances' for his teammates and provided 1.9 key passes per game as he consistently delivered quality from out wide.

This term, the French wizard has scored two goals and assisted three in 12 Bundesliga outings, whilst creating nine 'big chances' and making 2.3 key passes per match.

Saint-Maximin, meanwhile, has scored six goals and provided seven assists in 41 appearances in the Premier League for Newcastle since the start of last season, creating nine 'big chances' in total.

These statistics suggest that Diaby would be a huge upgrade on his compatriot as his form in the Bundesliga indicates that he could offer far more in terms of scoring goals and creating openings for his teammates.

At the age of 23, the Leverkusen man also has many years left ahead of him and could be a player who Howe can develop on the training pitch, helping him to improve his end product and consistency in the final third. This means that he could be a signing for the here and now as well as for the future.