A player Unai Emery signed for Aston Villa in 2023 is now attracting interest from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr.
Aston Villa have been super busy since securing a Champions League finish in the 2023/24 campaign.
Unai Emery and Monchi have had to navigate through PSR by offloading some of their players. Tim Iroegbunham has completed a £9 million switch to Everton, academy starlet Omari Kellyman is closing in on a £19 million move to Chelsea while Douglas Luiz’s transfer to Juventus is imminent.
As part of the Luiz deal, Enzo Barrenchea and Samuel Iling-Junior are arriving from Juve while Villa have already completed the signing of Everton’s Lewis Dobbin, with Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen also agreeing on a six-year contract at Villa Park.
There’s a lot to currently digest in B6, with Tottenham seeing a bid rejected for academy graduate Jacob Ramsey – and he isn’t the only other player attracting interest.
Aston Villa’s Moussa Diaby is attracting interest from Saudi Arabia
According to the Daily Mail, Moussa Diaby is wanted by Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
Villa beat the Saudi giants to the Frenchman’s signature last summer when they completed a club-record £51.9 million transfer from Bayer Leverkusen.
Al-Nassr are said to be on the hunt for a new partner for Cristiano Ronaldo as they are willing to listen to offers for ex-Liverpool forward Sadio Mane.
Diaby featured 54 times in all competitions under Emery last term, and whilst he was often criticised for his performances, a return of 10 goals and nine assists demonstrates how much they expect their ‘wonderful talent’ to improve.
For Al-Nassr to prise the 24-year-old away from Villa Park, they would need to present a huge sum of money and although PSR hangs over their shoulders, Monchi is under no pressure to sell with his contract expiring in 2028.
2024/25 could be a massive season for Moussa Diaby
Villa are currently assembling their squad ready for the Champions League in 2024/25 and Diaby will play a massive role for Emery.
For some of the best players to grace England’s top flight, including Manchester City duo Rodri and Bernardo Silva, it can often take a season to acclimatize to the Premier League.
Emery will be hoping that is the case with Diaby, who blew hot and cold throughout 2023/24. Whilst Michael Owen was wowed by his performance against West Ham in March, he also ‘really struggled’ in the 2-2 draw against Chelsea.
Those two summations of his displays last term just demonstrate how inconsistent the Frenchman was, though he’ll have plenty of opportunities to show why he’s regarded as the most valuable player in the squad.
In a jam-packed schedule that should see Villa battling across all fronts, Diaby will get regular opportunities to start on the right in place of Leon Bailey or in behind Ollie Watkins.
Indeed, it could turn out to be a massive campaign for the former Leverkusen star, who left some Villa supporters unconvinced of his talent.
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