Aston Villa have told Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad how much it would take for them to allow Moussa Diaby to leave the club.
Unai Emery is fully focussed on improving his squad this summer as Aston Villa prepare for the Champions League.
After a top four finish last season, Emery will want that to become the rule rather than the exception for his Villa side as he looks to build a side capable of sustained success.
After the initial flurry of sales to meet the PSR deadline, Villa have been concentrating on incomings and have welcomed six signings already this summer.
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However, after the sales of Tim Iroegbunam, Omari Kellyman and Douglas Luiz, Villa have now named their price for Moussa Diaby amid interest from Al-Ittihad.
Aston Villa want £60m to sell Moussa Diaby to Al-Ittihad
Villa only signed Diaby last summer, breaking their transfer record to seal a £51.9 million deal with Bayer Leverkusen.
The 25-year-old had a decent first campaign at Villa Park, registering 19 goal contributions, and has struck up a fruitful relationship with Ollie Watkins.
The Frenchman has also frustrated at times and Villa now appear willing to sell provided their valuation is met.
That is according to TalkSPORT, who report that Villa want ‘£60 million to sell Moussa Diaby to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad’.
With Diaby ‘keen on making the switch’, Villa will not stand in his way if their asking price is matched and the Saudi club are said to be ‘cautiously optimistic that a deal can be clinched’.
Aston Villa could secure marquee attacker with Diaby money
The prospect of linking up with the French contingent at Al-Ittihad looks to be a factor in Diaby’s decision, with Karim Benzema and N’golo Kante at the club and Laurent Blanc recently appointed manager.
For a 25-year-old at a club on the journey that Villa are on to want to swap that for the fortunes – but significant drop in standard and pedigree – of the Saudi league raises questions over their mentality.
Perhaps, in this case, it is best for Villa to take the £60 million and reinvest it in an attacker that could help take them to the next level.
- READ MORE: Aston Villa told £50m player is the ‘ideal’ Moussa Diaby replacement, he’s a ‘phenomenon’
That player could be Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix, with Emery believing he can help the Portugal forward who moved to Spain for £113 million as a 19-year-old back to his best.
With Atletico keen to offload Felix this summer, Villa could swoop for a cut-price deal for a player who still has enormous potential.
Diaby’s first season was decent if not breathtaking and the club could use the interest from Saudi to turn a quick profit.
