Moussa Diaby's move from Al-Ittihad back to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen has become one of the trickiest sagas of this transfer window. Every party wants it done. The French winger, both clubs, everyone shares the desire to get him back into German football. Yet the deal remains stuck.
Journalist Patrick Scherer, who covers Bayer Leverkusen closely, has revealed the real reasons behind the delay. According to his reporting in the German press, talks between the two clubs have hit a major obstacle that is holding up the final signature.
Money between the clubs is not the problem. Al-Ittihad and Leverkusen have all but agreed a fee of around 30 million euros, a figure both sides have signed off on to get the transfer moving.
Read also: Waleed Al-Farraj makes headlines: a slip of the tongue that exposes nostalgia for the past!
The agreements go beyond the two boardrooms. Leverkusen have also settled Diaby's personal terms in full, tying up the length of his new deal and the details of his salary, with the France international desperate to rejoin his former club.
So where's the snag? With the fee and the contract clauses supposedly sorted, the one issue keeping the file open sits between the player and his current club. Diaby's outstanding dues and financial penalties with Al-Ittihad need resolving before anyone signs the exit papers.
Leverkusen want that outstanding matter cleared as quickly as possible so they can wrap up the deal and get their man into training. Al-Ittihad, meanwhile, are still weighing their options to close the file in a way that protects the club's financial and contractual rights.