It is believed that personal terms have been agreed between Moussa Diaby and Al-Ittihad whilst Aston Villa are currently trying to raise the price up to £60 million.
Villa signed Diaby for around £55 million in the hope that the winger would bolster Villa’s attacking threat.
The French starlet offered so much promise having left Bayer Leverkusen to play for Unai Emery. But Diaby’s short coming at Aston Villa was filled with frustration.
The France international arrived with a frightening reputation for his pace and thunderous left foot which lit up the Bundesliga in the season prior to his arrival in the midlands.
Having played under Unai Emery at Paris Saint-German, Diaby began to make his mark, having scored minutes into his first pre-season friendly with Villa.
The 25-year-old continued to wow the Villa faithful by scoring on his Premier League debut in the 5-1 defeat against Newcastle United.
Diaby soon found the transition to English football a lot more difficult as he only found the net six times for Villa in 38 appearances. But the Holte End continued to support their record signing throughout weeks of struggles.
As time went on it became evident that Diaby was no match for the Premier League as his small physical stature would result in him losing the ball countlessly.
After a season of ups and downs, Diaby fell out of favour in the France national team which meant the winger was left out of his nation’s Euro 2024 campaign.
Many Villains were hoping Diaby just needed time to adapt to English football much like Leon Bailey who has become a fan favourite after years of struggles. But Diaby looks set to be on his way to Saudi Arabia despite having rejected negotiations with the Middle East last year.
Potential Replacements
There is a lot of talk about whether the Villians will introduce Jaden Philogene as a like-for-like replacement for Diaby.
However, many Villa fans feel that more quality is needed as the Birmingham-based club make the step up to Champions League football this season.
Whether it be naivety or a genuine possibility, Euro 2024 winner, Nico Williams is rumoured to have been contacted by Villa. His speed and flair will be one to watch if he is to make the move to the Premier League.
The Athletic Bilbao star has been closely linked to a move to Barcelona however it seems that the Catalan-based side do not have the funds to trigger his £45 million release clause which leaves a window of opportunity for Aston Villa.
There are other alternatives as Villa look to add more depth to an already stacked squad.
Alex Baena is highly linked to arrive at Villa this summer as the club continue to improve their Spanish contingency. The 22-year-old has been linked to the Villians for a while having played under Unai Emery at Villareal.
The Submarine Yellows are reluctant to let one of their prized possessions leave so close to the new season.
Another alternative for the Villains is Joao Felix as he looks in search of a club to reignite his career. The 24-year-old left Benfica to join Atletico Madrid for a record-breaking fee of around £127 million in 2019.
Since failing to impress in Madrid, Felix has had loan spells at Barcelona and Chelsea as he remains highly rated by Europe’s elite.
The Portuguese international has blistering pace and an eye for goal which could prove a good addition for Emery.
The departure of Diaby was not highly anticipated but the money involved seems very generous after an unsuccessful season is claret and blue.
Villa have already demonstrated their swift methods of business this transfer window and it will not be a surprise if a headline signing arrives in the second city in the coming weeks.
