Mousa Diaby – Aston Villa’s statement signing

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Mousa Diaby joins Pau Torres, Vilijami Sinisalo and Youri Tielemans as Aston Villa’s latest signing of the transfer window, with Unai Emery having eyes on disrupting the top six this season.

Villa and Bayer Leverkusen agreed to a deal worth roughly 50 million euros, with 40 million up front and 10 milllion in easily achievable add-ons. The Frenchman has put pen to paper on a five-year contract.

During his time in the Bundesliga, Diaby was one of the most exciting attackers in the league, becoming an integral part of Leverkusen’s offence, scoring 49 goals and providing 48 assists in 172 appearances.

Diaby is a versatile forward that is effective across multiple positions in the front-line. Since joining Leverkusen from Paris Saint-Germain, Diaby has played the majority of his minutes on the left and right wings. He has also been used as an attacking midfielder and second striker.

His key attributes are his pace and ability to beat defenders. This has been the foundation of his game since his academy days.

As he as gained experience in the Bundesliga, he has grown into a consistent provider of goals. Last season Diaby was involved in 25 goal contributions in 48 appearances, and managed 31 in 41 appearances in the 2021/22 season.

Diaby’s main attacking ability is his direct-play style, he is very good at running in behind and creating chances with few opportunities, however this comes at a price, he is not very reliable defensively or in his team’s attacking buildup. He is one of the lowest ranking forwards in Europe for defensive contributions and in possession.

Aston Villa’s pursuit of European football makes the Frenchman a perfect fit for their squad. Diaby has European experience in both the Champions League and Europa league, scoring two goals in the UEFA Champions league last season, while also recording 12 goals 8 assists in 28 Europa League appearances.

He will be reunited with former Bayer Leverkusen teammate Leon Bailey with who he shared a productive spell up-front in Germany. Bailey operated on the same wing as the Frenchman before moving to the left, and eventually centrally after the exit of Kai Havertz.

Overall, Mousa Diaby is a statement signing from Aston Villa, he is an exceptional forward with great pace and finishing ability. Being a left-footed capable finisher is in high demand throughout the European market, making this deal especially impressive.

He has the potential to be a high-level creator in the Premier League which can been seen in his assist record during his time at Leverkusen. He is a forward that has been followed by the biggest clubs in the world and for a fee rising up to 50 million euros, he is sensational value considering the transfers of Jadon Sancho and Anthony.

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Dylan Johnson