Villa Winger Diaby Nears £50.4m Transfer to Al-Ittihad

Aston Villa winger Moussa Diaby is on the brink of a transfer to Al-Ittihad for approximately €60 million (£50.4 million).

The 25-year-old player has traveled to Saudi Arabia to undergo a medical and finalize the transfer, following a single season with Villa Park.

Diaby joined Aston Villa from Bayer Leverkusen last summer for a club-record fee of around £51.9 million. However, Villa manager Unai Emery has opted to sell the France international.

This move comes shortly after Aston Villa re-signed Jaden Philogene from Hull City for approximately £13.5 million. Villa believes the academy graduate can significantly impact the team upon his return.

During his time at Villa, Diaby made 54 appearances, scored 10 goals, and played a role in the team's fourth-place finish in the Premier League, which secured their qualification for the Champions League.

As Villa prepares for the new season, they have already made significant changes to their squad. Midfielder Douglas Luiz was sold to Juventus for £42.35 million last month. Villa also signed Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus, while left-back Ian Maatsen was acquired from Chelsea for £35 million. Additionally, winger Lewis Dobbin joined from Everton for around £9 million. On Tuesday, Villa completed the £50 million signing of Everton midfielder Amadou Onana.