Aston Villa has confirmed the transfer of French winger Moussa Diaby to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad for a reported fee of approximately £50 million ($65 million).
Diaby, who joined Villa Park just last summer for a club-record fee, made 54 appearances and scored 10 goals in all competitions, contributing to Unai Emery’s side’s qualification for the Champions League.
Before his stint with Aston Villa, the 25-year-old Diaby spent four years at Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. He reunites with Emery, who previously managed him at Paris Saint-Germain.
In his new role at Al-Ittihad, Diaby will join compatriots Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante, along with former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho. Al-Ittihad, led by head coach Laurent Blanc, is looking to improve upon their fifth-place finish from the previous season.
