Al-Hilal have announced the signing of French footballer Moussa Diaby from Aston Villa on a five-year.
In a statement made available on the club’s website, the Saudi Pro League champions announced that the 25-year-old has joined the club on a five-year contract.
“We are pleased to announce the signing of Moussa Diaby from Aston Villa on a five-year contract,” the club statement reads.
Al-Ittihad CEO Domingos Oliveira said Diaby will be a great asset to the team due to his experience and skills.
”Diaby is such a great player with a lot of experience. He will be a significant asset to the team,” Oliveira said.
Moussa Diaby joined Aston Villa last summer from Bayer Leverkusen. He made 54 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 10 times, and providing 9 assists. According to reports, the French footballer is joining the Saudi outfit in a deal worth €55m.
The former Premier League star is expected to link up with other former Premier League players like Aleksander Mitrovic who joined the Saudi champions from Fulham last season.
Notably, Moussa Diaby’s transfer move to Al-Hilal is the fifth most expensive Saudi transfer deal, only behind Neymar, Malcolm, Otavio, and Ruben Neves’ transfer in 2023.
Moussa Diaby
Moussa Diaby was born on the 7th of July 1999. He is a French professional footballer who last played as a winger or attacking midfielder for Premier League club Aston Villa and represents the France national team.
Diaby graduated from Paris Saint-Germain Academy, having joined the club at the age of 10.
He made his debut for PSG reserve team in 2017 and later went on loan to F.C. Crotone for the second half of the 2017–18 Serie A season.
In 2018, he returned to PSG but left the club again the next year. Diaby joined Bayer Leverkusen on a five-year contract but did not run out of the contract with the club. After three seasons with the Bundesliga outfit, he moved to the Premier League, joining Aston Villa in 2023.
National Team Career
Diaby has been a part of the France youth national teams at various levels, including U18, U19, U20, and U21. He was called up to the France senior squad for the first time on 26 August 2021.
He made his international debut in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, coming on as a substitute for Kylian Mbappé.
Awards and honors
Moussa Diaby boasts a prolific international and club career. He won the Ligue 1 title with PSG in 2018-19, including the Trophée des Champions. On the international level, he won the 2021 UEFA Nations League trophy with France.
He has also bagged several individual awards and honors. He made the UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament in 2018 and was also named in the 2022-23 Bundesliga Team of the Season.
Moussa’s contract and salary
Moussa Diaby has penned down a five-year contract with Al-Hilal till 2029. Details of the offer, as per his wages, have yet to be disclosed. However, he is probably set for a higher wage than his €294,000 weekly pay at Aston Villa.
