- The 25-year-old winger has completed his transfer to the Saudi Pro League club
- Moussa Diaby leaves Aston Villa just a year after moving to the Premier League
- Diaby has signed a five-year contract after completing his £50million move
Aston Villa have confirmed the departure of Moussa Diaby after the player completed a £50million move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad just a year after arriving in the Midlands.
The 25-year-old was Villa’s record signing when he joined from Bayer Leverkusen for £52million last year and enjoyed a strong debut year in the Premier League.
Diaby has signed a five-year contract with the Saudi Pro League club and will join up with his new team-mates in due course after undergoing a medical in Spain.
He leaves the Clarets having made 54 appearances for Villa in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and providing nine assists, playing in Unai Emery’s attacking line.
Diaby formed a strong partnership with Ollie Watkins, who enjoyed the best season of his career by scoring 27 goals and finishing fourth in the Premier League Golden Boot race with 19 goals.
Aston Villa have confirmed the departure of Moussa Diaby after the player completed a £50million move to Saudi club Al-Ittihad
Diaby has signed a five-year contract with the Saudi Pro League club as he leaves just a year after joining Villa
Diaby leaves the Clarets having made 54 appearances for Villa in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and providing nine assists
Upon completing his move to Al-Ittihad, Diaby admitted he was delighted with the move, following in the footsteps of other former Premier League stars who have moved to the Middle East due to the high salaries they offer.
“I am delighted to join Al-Ittihad and be part of a project that aims to build a strong team that reflects the club’s rich history and values.
Diaby was previously Villa’s club record signing when he moved to the Midlands 12 months ago
“I look forward to achieving victories together with my new teammates and making our dedicated fans happy.”
Al-Ittihad already had stars such as Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Fabinho in their squad, while Houssem Aouar recently joined from AS Roma.
His departure means Villa will immediately recoup the £50million they recently spent on former Everton midfielder Amadou Onana.
The 22-year-old Belgian midfielder broke Diaby’s previous record to become the club’s most expensive signing, taking Villa’s summer spending to £140m.