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Erik ten Hag approves Man Utd’s proposal to sign Moussa Diaby

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has approved the club’s proposal to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby due to the difficulty in landing Ajax winger Antony, Fichajes report.

The Red Devils have been regularly linked with Antony over recent weeks, but have received a blow with Ajax increasing the asking price from €80 million to €100m.

United were reluctant to pay over €60m for him earlier this month, and it seems unlikely that they will finalise a nine-figure sum to sign the Brazil international.

Amidst this, Fichajes claim that United have identified Diaby as Antony’s alternative, and have already got the approval from Ten Hag to make a transfer offer.

Diaby would be a better signing than Antony

Diaby is a left-footed winger, who is versatile. While Antony has played most of his career from the right wing, the Frenchman is comfortable from either flank.

The 23-year-old has made a huge impression for Leverkusen, and was at his best last season. He bagged an impressive 17 goals and 14 assists from 42 outings.

Diaby is valued at €60m, as per Transfermarkt. At that figure, he could be a solid acquisition. There is more value for money, considering the hefty €100m price tag for Antony.

The attributes of Diaby and Antony are very much similar. Both of them are blessed with superb dribbling skills, and have the knack of making key passes in the final third.

Diaby seems the better choice for United as he can easily play on either wing. The only concern would be that he may need more time to adapt to the Premier League.

Players arriving from the Bundesliga have not found it easy in the English top-flight. A firm example is Jadon Sancho, who struggled during the first half of last season.

The same could be the case for Antony. We have seen a number of players from Eredivisie including Donny van de Beek, who have failed to settle in English football.

Signing either player comes with a potential risk, but Diaby appears a more suitable target for United over Antony, taking the price tag and his versatility in regard.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com