Moussa Diaby Leaves Aston Villa for Al Ittihad

Moussa Diaby with Aston Villa in May 2024
Moussa Diaby with Aston Villa in May 2024. Photo by Will Cooper/Shutterstock (14486514cm)

French midfielder Moussa Diaby has been signed by Al Ittihad from Aston Villa for a fee of around £50 million ($65 million). The 25-year-old player spent only one season at Villa before moving to the Saudi Pro League club.

Upon arriving in Saudi Arabia, Diaby will play alongside French compatriots Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté as well as former Liverpool star Fabinho. Under the guidance of Laurent Blanc, Diaby and his new teammates will look to improve on Al Ittihad’s fifth-place finish in the Pro League last season.

During his sole season at Villa Park, Diaby scored 10 goals in 54 appearances in all competitions. He played a pivotal role in Villa’s fourth-placed finish in the Premier League, helping the club to qualify for this season’s UEFA Champions League.

Prior to joining Aston Villa last season, Diaby played for Bayer Leverkusen, spending four seasons at the Bundesliga club. The French national previously played for Paris Saint-Germain, winning the 2018/19 Ligue 1 as well as the French Super Cup that same season. He also won the UEFA Nations League in 2021 with France, however, he was unable to make the cut for the French national team when they won the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

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