Moussa Diaby snubs Al Nassr and agrees to Aston Villa move

  • Diaby to snub lucrative move to Saudi Arabia and sign for Aston Villa
  • West Midlands side to pay club-record fee in excess of £43m to Bayer Leverkusen
  • Villa have already brought in Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans this summer
Diaby is heading to Villa
Diaby is heading to Villa / Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images
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Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby has accepted Aston Villa's proposal and snubbed a move to Saudi Arabia, sources have confirmed to 90min.

The France international has been one of their top targets in a window which has already seen them sign Spain defender Pau Torres from Villarreal and Youri Tielemans on a free transfer from Leicester City.

Villa have prioritised a winger in recent weeks, though were quickly knocked back in their pursuits of Spanish duo Nico Williams and Ferran Torres.

They were than able to focus their attentions on Diaby, who has previously been eyed by Arsenal and Newcastle United. However, Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr were their biggest rivals for the winger.

90min previously revealed that Al Nassr, who boast Cristiano Ronaldo for star power, were willing to pay Diaby an eye-watering sum to head to the Middle East, though Villa remained confident throughout negotiations that they would end up winning the race.


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And sources have now confirmed to 90min that Diaby will take Aston Villa up on their offer, with a medical the next step before he officially completes his move from Leverkusen.

Diaby is believed to have prioritised a move to the Premier League despite the lucrative offer on the table from Al Nassr, wanting to test himself against some of the very best players in the world.

Unai Emery's side will pay a fee in excess of £43m for the 24-year-old, which will make him the club's most expensive signing in their history, and the deal reflects their ambition to challenge the Premier League's 'big six' and become regular fixtures in European competition.

Villa's new president of football operations, Monchi, has been heavily involved in the deal and has been pushing to bring Diaby to the West Midlands, with the Spaniard now set to land his man.


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