Aston Villa have announced the departure of Moussa Diaby to Al Ittihad. The talented winger, who joined Villa last season from Bayer Leverkusen, is heading to Saudi Arabia after an impressive spell in the Premier League.
Diaby made a significant impact at Villa Park, scoring 10 goals and providing nine assists in 54 appearances in all competitions.
Aston Villa can confirm that Moussa Diaby has joined Al Ittihad. image.twitter.com/9Op7QCcGdk
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 24, 2024
His performances were instrumental in helping Unai Emery’s side secure a place in the Champions League for next season.
The 25-year-old France international was previously a key player at Bayer Leverkusen and had a successful spell under Emery at Paris Saint-Germain.
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Al Ittihad’s ambitious plans with Diaby
Diaby’s move to Al Ittihad sees him join a star-studded line-up that includes Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho.
The club, under new manager Laurent Blanc, are looking to improve on last season’s fifth-place finish. Al Ittihad confirmed that Diaby has signed a five-year contract and has already joined their squad in Spain.
Al Ittihad CEO Domingos Oliveira was delighted by the new signing, saying:
“He will be an important asset to the team.”
The exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is clear that Al Ittihad are making significant investments in their squad, following Saudi Arabia’s trend of attracting top international talent.
The move is part of a broader strategy by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has acquired a majority stake in several major Saudi clubs, including Al Ittihad.
The PIF has been behind the high-profile signings of stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar, offering lucrative contracts to take them to the Saudi Pro League.
