Newcastle United have three games left to secure qualification for the Champions League by finishing in the top four in the Premier League.
The Magpies are currently third in the table and four points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool with matches against Brighton, Leicester, and Chelsea to come.
Although they do not know which European competition they will be participating in next season, the club are already working on their plans for the upcoming summer transfer window.
Newcastle transfer news – Magpies eye Amine Adli
Moussa Diaby was reportedly a key target in 2022 and The Guardian recently claimed that the French winger remains a player of interest to Newcastle ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, whilst other reports revealed that Bayer Leverkusen were valuing him in the region of €70m (£62m).
However, Eddie Howe could land a bargain alternative to the ex-Paris Saint-Germain attacker by signing his teammate Amine Adli, who the club are considering a swoop for.
Who is Amine Adli?
The Frenchman is a left-footed winger – like Diaby – who currently plays for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and has caught the eye with his performances this season.
Instead of splashing out in excess of £60m on their target from last summer, the Magpies could swoop for Adli to bolster their attacking options out wide.
The 23-year-old gem, who would cost around £30m this summer, has averaged more shot-creating actions, successful take-ons, and progressive passes than Diaby per 90 over the last 365 days in the Bundesliga, which shows that he excels at getting the ball up the pitch and creating opportunities for shots on the opposition's goal.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig once hailed his "electric" pace and the forward's "exceptional" ability in small spaces, which the attacker uses to create chances for himself and others in the final third – scoring four goals and providing three assists in 13 league starts this season.
Diaby has scored nine goals and provided eight assists in 30 starts in the German top-flight but Newcastle could gamble on Adli being able to replicate similar numbers if given more game time for the Magpies next season.
The young Frenchman has shown plenty of promise in his limited starts for Leverkusen in 2022/23 and his statistics indicate that he does have the potential to be a difference-maker in the final third with his goals and assists from out wide.
Therefore, Howe could save PIF millions by swooping to sign Adli ahead of Diaby as he's likely to cost half the price in the upcoming summer transfer window.