Moussa Diaby Departs Aston Villa for Al-Ittihad

France winger Moussa Diaby has left Aston Villa to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad. The 25-year-old moved to Villa Park just last summer for a club record fee of £51.9 million from Bayer Leverkusen. During his single season with Aston Villa, Diaby made 54 appearances, scored 10 goals, and played a crucial role in helping the team secure a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, thus qualifying for the Champions League.

Diaby expressed his gratitude to the club and its fans on social media platform X, stating, "Villans, thank you for everything. It's time to say goodbye. I've always given my best to help the club and the team, and we've had some great moments that will stay in my memory. We've had a fantastic season, with moments of joy and happiness."

Aston Villa is in the process of reshaping their squad ahead of the new season. Last month, they sold midfielder Douglas Luiz to Juventus for £42.4 million and have since brought in several new players. These include Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus, left-back Ian Maatsen from Chelsea for £35 million, and winger Lewis Dobbin from Everton for around £9 million. Additionally, Villa recently completed the £50 million signing of Everton midfielder Amadou Onana and re-signed Jaden Philogene from Hull for approximately £13.5 million, less than a year after selling him to the Tigers.