Aston Villa fans partied hard after the confirmation of the club reaching the final Champions League spot was made available to them. However, despite the sunny mood that shone throughout the fanbase, there was a unwelcome thought of how the team will cope with the action packed modern football calendar.
Looking back at the end of last season, in games such as Lille (A), Olympiakos (A), and Brighton (A), it was clear from a fan's perspective that the players were looking leggy and tired. This was due to reaching the latter stages of the UEFA Conference League
Now, I am not going to sit here and get carried away. It is highly unlikely we will reach the same stage in the Champions League. For me, a successful European campaign this time around is making it out of the newly formatted league table.
Still, to some football fans, I may sound deluded, but I think the additions that Unai Emery has made and the bolstering of the squad are only positives. This is a squad that is not just in the Champions League to make up the numbers.
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New additions and squad depth may prove to be the difference maker
Although the squad required reinforcement for the upcoming season, I do not believe that Villa fans worldwide anticipated us being this proactive in the transfer window.
So far, we have got Lewis Dobbin, Ian Maatsen, Ross Barkley, Enzo Barrenechea, Samuel Iling-Junior and Jaden Philogene.
Philogene left for Hull City at the beginning of last season but has since returned to Aston Villa. Emery has promised the talent more game time than he was accustomed to before at Villa.
In addition to this, Everton Midfielder Amadou Onana is having his medical on Sunday at Bodymoor Heath and will sign for Villa in a deal worth around £50 million.
We have yet to see the impact these additions will have on the squad and how they will adapt to Emery's style of play, but there looks to be plenty of competition for a starting position come the opening game of the Premier League season against West Ham United.
The volume of incomings however heavily outweighs that of outgoings.
Players who have left Villa this window and had game time under Emery last season are Douglas Luiz (Juventus), Omari Kellyman (Chelsea), Tim Iroegbunam (Everton) and Calum Chambers (Cardiff).
That is eight new signings compared to four outgoings, therefore hints that there will be more players leaving the club come 11pm on August 30th.
One of them could be French winger, Moussa Diaby.
Nothing has been confirmed as of yet. However, with him being heavily linked with a move to Al Ittihad, where he will join fellow Frenchmen Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante, it seems only a matter of time.
The deal is rumoured to be around £46 million. Diaby joined Villa from Bayer Leverkusen in July of 2023 for a deal worth £51.9 million.
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How will Villa fare without Moussa Diaby?
Simply put, I think Villa will be fine and cope fine.
That may sound a bit harsh depending on how you read it, but I think the squad is looking healthy and we have plenty of quality to call upon to fill the gap that Diaby leaves.
Diaby scored some big goals and won us some big games; however, I still do not think we saw the best of him while he was at Villa. He struggled to perform at a consistent level, much like Leon Bailey in his first season in England.
There is definitely a quality player there, and I don’t entirely agree with his move to the Saudi league, as he is still only 25 and has so much potential. However, I am sure it is a decision he has considered carefully.
He rejected a move to Saudi Arabia the previous year when he chose to join Villa, so this could have always been part of his plan.
When you consider the options we have—Leon Bailey, Morgan Rogers, Samuel Iling-Junior, Lewis Dobbin, and Jaden Philogene—it’s clear we have a wealth of young talent. Bailey and Rogers demonstrated their quality last season, and as a Villa fan, you should be excited about the potential the other players can bring.
I wish nothing but the best for Diaby and hope he excels at Al Ittihad.
Au Revoir, Moussa!
