Moussa Diaby initially impressed – so why are Aston Villa open to ...

On the face of things, Moussa Diaby had a solid debut campaign at Aston Villa.

The initial fanfare that came with his arrival — following two goals and an assist in his first three games — plateaued, but Diaby still registered 10 goals and nine assists across all competitions and with 54 appearances, played more than any other player.

Early projections christened him the signing of last summer. While such claims were premature, Diaby carried enough verve to warrant excitement. In the early days at Villa Park, The Holte End would serenade him to the tune of ABBA’s Voulez-Vous.

Unai Emery had repackaged Diaby into a second centre-forward, transforming the 25-year-old from a winger at Bayer Leverkusen into an incisive attacker and utilising his ball-carrying skills centrally. Diaby ranks in the top five per cent of attackers from Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries (3.89 per 90 minutes) in the past 12 months.

This was a clear indication of Emery’s coaching ability, having the foresight to transform a player who concerned other suitors he would be predictably one-footed and viewed through a similar lens to Manchester United’s Antony or Nicolas Pepe when he was at Arsenal. Dating back to his short and unsuccessful loan at Italian side Crotone in 2018, coaches solely regarded Diaby as a traditional wide-man in a 4-3-3.

Emery set about sculpting Diaby into a well-rounded attacking player, starting in the pre-season to the United States. The France international arrived later than his new team-mates but immediately held talks with Emery and his soon-to-be strike partner, Ollie Watkins.

First impressions are everything and in the case of Diaby, they were galvanising. His speed, dribbling and dovetailing with Watkins were key to Villa’s transitional-based attacking style, driving forward and ruthlessly punishing the space left by opposition defences.

Diaby impressed in the early parts of last season (James Gill/Getty Images)

“At the beginning, the thinking was for him to be close to Watkins,” Emery said. “Being a threat going behind the opponent with his quality.”

The £34.2million ($43.9m) plus add-ons Villa paid for Diaby felt a disproportionate price given the going rate for other high-end forwards.

So why, less than a year on, are Diaby and Villa now open to parting ways? Saudi Arabian clubs have retained their interest from last summer. Crucially, this time, it is Al Ittihad who are the most keen, working on a lucrative financial package which would offer Villa a significant profit.

Contrary to reports, Diaby was not Emery’s top target. That was instead Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, the 22-year-old Spain forward who starred at Euro 2024. Joao Felix is a continued option, with Emery considering him before his loan at Barcelona last season.

Williams and Diaby were of a similar profile; able to play off either flank, Emery designed a plan for either to dovetail with Watkins in the No 10 role. Diaby being lower down the list of priorities, though, was gradually shown up in Emery’s use of him.

His stock fell sharply, going from an integral creative hub to a peripheral starter before being left out of December’s home double-header against Manchester City and Arsenal.

Diaby did not take the omission well. The day after being left out of Villa’s win against Man City, an interview arranged with Diaby for a foreign broadcaster, who had flown to Birmingham, was shelved at the last minute. He is a player who is strong-willed and can rile against criticism.

“He was a teenager but I remember saying to myself, ‘This is already a man, he has a great personality’,” Crotone’s president, Raffaele Vrenna, tells The Athletic. “It all transpired from his serious gaze. But he is a golden boy — respectful, polite and with values.

“I was certain of his potential. You could see a mile away what he was capable of doing and his room for improvement. But in Italy, there is a little more fear than abroad in trusting young players. It’s a shame.”

Emery attempted to wrestle Diaby’s form and confidence back, but those words appeared hollow given Villa were moving in a tactically different direction, with a preference for control over Diaby’s directness. Villa’s manager remained steadfast in his public backing of Diaby.

“I’m happy with him,” Emery said. “His performances are not consistent, but I can understand because he’s in the process of understanding everything and adapting. It’s difficult.”

When considering the dwindling credit in Diaby’s bank and having never been the primary target, it is little surprise both parties are amenable to hearing offers from elsewhere.

Below surface level, Diaby’s struggles are discernible. An expected goals (xG) rate of 0.29 per 90 minutes ranked in the bottom 14 per cent of attackers. Emery expressed the necessity of finding solutions to break down low blocks and Villa found themselves congested in central areas. Diaby was inhibited, limited to fewer touches and a reduced impact.

Leon Bailey’s form did little to help matters. Diaby was the summer bloomer, but Bailey became the reliable winter coat, scoring goals and making telling contributions. It convinced Emery he no longer needed the pace of two left-footers operating in similar pockets. The pair only started in the league together six times in the opening eight months.

Subtly, Emery changed Villa’s in-possession shape. Bailey replaced and replicated Diaby’s out-to-in runs, as Villa moved to a boxed midfield shape, similar to the season before.

Emery traded in the candour of the Diaby and Bailey axis for self-restraint, with a midfield consisting of four central midfielders; safer on the ball and playing in pockets of space. This was demonstrated in the 5-0 win away to Sheffield United where Youri Tielemans, a different profile of player, was in the position Diaby played.

Note the similarities in Tielemans’ position to Diaby:

Diaby spent the rest of the campaign fighting for a return to his early form. He remained impactful sporadically, providing in-swinging crosses for late goals away to Bournemouth and Luton Town and scoring against Olympiacos in the UEFA Conference League semi-final.

However, game time was aided by injuries to team-mates and the inescapable sense stayed of Diaby being badly in need of fine-tuning. He was even recalled to the France setup earlier this year, with coach Didier Deschamps preferring the softly-softly touch in a bid to precipitate his return to form.

“He hasn’t lost his qualities, he’s capable of being decisive,” Deschamps said. “This is his chance to make the most of this gathering.”

In April, Emery was asked for his assessment of Diaby’s first season. “For different players, the adaptation of the Premier League and within our idea and demands is sometimes difficult,” said the Spaniard. “Diaby is getting better and can play wider or as a No 10. I am very happy with his progression. He needs to be calm in moments he hasn’t been. I am being very demanding with him and he is completely involved in our structure.”

Now, though, Diaby’s involvement at Villa is in question.

(Top photo: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)