Aston Villa winger Moussa Diaby signed by Saudi club Al Ittihad

Diaby, who moved to Villa from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee of 52 million pounds a year ago, played 54 games in the 2023-24 season, scoring 10 goals and providing nine assists to help the team secure a spot in the Champions League.

The exact transfer fee paid by Al Ittihad for Diaby was not disclosed.

The former Paris St Germain player now joins compatriots Karim Benzema and Ngolo Kante at the Jeddah-based club, which recently appointed Frenchman Laurent Blanc as their head coach.

Saudi Arabian clubs, known for signing top players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar in recent years, are among the top five spenders in the global transfer market, having spent $970 million in 2023, according to FIFA.

Despite being nine-time champions of the Saudi league, Al-Ittihad finished fifth last season, missing out on continental competition and losing the Saudi Super Cup final to Al Hilal.

Al Ittihad CEO Domingos Oliveira stated in a release, "Our sports committee recognized the necessity to reinforce the winger position. We believe that Moussa Diaby is a standout player globally in this role."

Al-Ittihad will kick off their league campaign against Al Kholood on August 24.