MOUSSA DIABY remains Newcastle United’s preferred transfer target for the remainder of the summer – with the Magpies planning one final push for the Bayer Leverkusen winger before moving on to alternative targets.

Magpies officials held talks with the Bayer Leverkusen hierarchy over Diaby at the start of the summer, but refused to meet the German club’s €60m demands.

With the situation not really having changed in the last few weeks, Newcastle’s recruitment team have begun to assess alternative options as they look to recruit both a forward and a wide player with their remaining summer transfer funds.

Real Sociedad forward Alexander Isak is regarded as a viable target, although there is an acceptance the Swedish striker will not come cheap, which would impact upon how much money the Magpies could commit to their pursuit of a second player.

Armando Broja is a cut-price forward option if Chelsea agree to a season-long loan with a view to a permanent transfer next summer, while Leeds United’s Jack Harrison is another option to fill the wide position.

However, having identified Diaby as a priority target before the transfer window reopened at the start of the summer, the Newcastle hierarchy do not want to give up on the French international without a final fight.

There have been mixed signals coming out of Bayer Leverkusen in the last few days, with the Bundesliga club’s first-team squad having begun to reassemble for pre-season training.

Having been granted an extended break because of his international duties, Diaby was not involved in Leverkusen’s opening pre-season game against MSV Duisburg last weekend, a 6-1 win, but the 23-year-old still opted to attend the game and his head coach, Gerardo Seoane, is adamant he does not want to lose him this summer.

“Moussa knows what we think of him,” said Seoane. “He knows what he has here. As a club, we always strive to give important players like him an important role. We all appreciate him. Of course, we know things can happen in football that we can’t influence. But Moussa is very happy here, and I’m convinced he will carry on playing for Bayer.”

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Ultimately, however, the final decision over Diaby’s future will come down to the Leverkusen board if, as expected, Newcastle attempt to force their hand with a formal offer in the next few days, and the club’s sporting director, Simon Rolfes, has left the door open for a potential bid.

“I’m optimistic about Moussa, that he’ll play here next season,” said Rolfes. “But when clubs with incredibly large financial opportunities bid for such a player, we have to sell a top player at some point.”

While Newcastle are adamant they will not meet Leverkusen’s current €60m asking price, they could potentially go to around £40m, breaking their current transfer record in the process, if they are able to divert resources from a striker signing to the deal. A loan for Broja, or a similar deal for an alternative forward, would potentially enable them to do that.

The alternative is to spend big on a striker, and look for a cut-price deal for a wide player, but while speculation over Isak has increased in the last few days, the Swede would almost certainly cost at least as much as Diaby, and the long-standing preference has always been for the latter.

Isak, a 22-year-old Swedish international with 37 full caps, joined Real Sociedad from Borussia Dortmund in 2019, and is contracted to the La Liga club until the summer of 2026, having signed a new deal as recently as last year.

He scored ten goals in all competitions for Sociedad last season, and can play as a central striker or as a wide forward in a front three.

As well as looking to add players to the squad, Eddie Howe is also looking to move on a number of his fringe players, and with Jeff Hendrick having completed a loan move to Reading yesterday, Ciaran Clark’s switch to Sheffield United should be confirmed today.

Clark will sign a season-long loan at Bramall Lane, which will effectively mark the end of his Magpies career as he has already entered the final year of his current contract.