LONDON: French winger Moussa Diaby has joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad from Aston Villa on a five-year contract, the English Premier League side said late on Wednesday.
Diaby, who joined Villa a year ago from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee of 52 million pounds ($67 million), made 54 appearances in the 2023-24 season, registering 10 goals and nine assists and helping the club qualify for the Champions League.
The transfer fee paid by Al-Ittihad for Diaby was not specified.
The former Paris St Germain player joins fellow France internationals Karim Benzema and Ngolo Kante at the Jeddah-based club, who hired Frenchman Laurent Blanc as head coach earlier this month.
Saudi Arabian clubs, who have signed some of the world’s top players over the last couple of seasons including Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, are among the five biggest spenders in the international transfer market, according to global soccer governing body FIFA, splashing $970 million in 2023.
