TOM COLLOMOSSE: Aston VIlla’s Moussa Diaby could be one of the signings of the season. At £45m the Frenchman was an excellent deal
When it comes to big spending, not many in Europe can compete with the Big Six – but big wealth can make big clubs complacent and cause them to miss targets hidden in plain sight.
Aston Villa had been following Moussa Diaby for two years before making their move this summer.
As they negotiated to sign the Bayer Leverkusen striker, Villa were surprised that their only serious competition came from Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr – and Diaby never wanted to go there.
At £45 million, Diaby was an excellent deal. The left-footed Frenchman is fast, skilled, technically superb and super smart.
He can play as a second striker or on either flank and has already scored two goals and two assists in five league games. He could be one of the signings of the season.
Moussa Diaby (pictured) played a crucial role in helping Aston Villa claim a late 3–1 victory against Crystal Palace, setting up Leon Bailey for the club’s third goal.
Unai Emery’s (pictured) side signed the Frenchman for £45 million earlier this summer
Yesterday they recorded their third league win of the season, moving them up to seventh in the Premier League standings
When Diaby decided to leave Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, it was because he wanted to play in the Champions League.
No club involved in that competition made serious progress, so the 24-year-old accepted Villa’s offer, believing that Unai Emery’s coaching – plus the enormous ambition of billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens – would help him would eventually take me there.
Diaby has wasted no time in setting demanding goals herself.
“We want to get to the final of every competition, the Conference League, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, and be in the top five of the Premier League,” Diaby said.
‘I am very happy to be here, with this club and with these players. I hope to have a good season here.’
Palace came down hard on the home fans for their time-wasting tactics, which started early.
The Eagles did not have Roy Hodgson in the dugout after the former England boss began feeling unwell on Saturday morning, although stand-in coach Paddy McCarthy said: ‘We hope he will continue to feel better and return to us sooner are. later on.’
Like most clubs outside the elite, Palace are struggling without a key player and here they were missing one in each department through injury: centre-back Marc Guehi, midfielder Jefferson Lerma and striker Matheus Franca signed for £26 million from Brazilian giants Flamengo.
Any club that finishes in the bottom half starts the season hoping there are at least three worse teams in the division.
Odsonne Edouard (left) scored for the visitors just after half-time, hitting the net past Emi Martinez
But Villa rallied, with Jhon Duran scoring the equalizer before Douglas Luiz (right) converted from the spot in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
Leon Bailey secured third place for the Villans, with Diaby creatively supplying the midfielder for his late goal
Palace are certainly among the group that are crossing their fingers, but still there is more than enough in this squad to avoid a relegation battle.
Odsonne Edouard is a dangerous attacker and Cheick Doucoure an excellent central midfielder. There are few more talented players in the league than Eberechi Eze.
“The international break wasn’t kind to us because of the injuries, but I was very happy with the application,” said Paddy McCarthy, who led the proceedings in Hodgson’s absence.
For much of the second half it looked like Palace would take the points thanks to Edouard’s goal shortly after half-time.
But Villa substitute Jhon Duran scored a brilliant equalizer in the 87th minute before Douglas Luiz’s penalty and Leon Bailey’s tap-in – expertly created by Diaby – sealed the victory in stoppage time.