Why Aston Villa are willing to smash their transfer record for Moussa Diaby

 

Aston Villa are making big moves after a successful season. Unai Emery guided the Villans back to European football last term, confirming a Europa Conference League spot in the final day of the campaign with the Spaniard making a superb impact at Villa Park following his November appointment. 

 

Had the season started when Emery took charge, then Villa would have finished fifth, which speaks volumes of the former Villarreal head coach's methods. For context, Villa were 16th, three points off the foot of the table, when Emery was appointed. And having guided Villa to a top-seven finish, the club aren't resting on their laurels as they seek to assemble a squad capable of competing both domestically and on the continent. 

 

Youri Tielemans has joined on a free following Leicester's relegation, while Pau Torres, who worked under Emery at Villarreal, joins to swell Villa's defensive ranks. Given the Spain international had previously been linked with Manchester United and Tottenham, Torres' capture is a coup for Emery's side, bolstering a solid centre-back contingent consisting of Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Diego Carlos. 

 

Villa aren't quite done in the market yet either. With the backing of the board, the Midlands powerhouse are looking to strike a deal with Bayer Leverkusen for Moussa Diaby. Villa have previous when negotiating with the German side having signed Leon Bailey from Die Werkself back in 2021 and they'll look to come to an agreement with the Bundesliga outfit in their push to land Diaby. 

 

Diaby is best used coming off the right flank, which is something of a problem position for Villa. Whereas Jacob Ramsey has nailed down the left wing spot under Emery, the Spaniard used a number of players out on the right to mixed effect. John McGinn, Emiliano Buendia, Ramsey and Bailey all started at least once on the right flank in England's top tier last term, and the lack of consistency meant Villa routinely focussed their attacks down the left. 

 

40% of their attacks came down the left flank in 2022/23, the joint-fourth highest proportion in the Premier League. By comparison, 35% were down the right, the fourth lowest. A dependable option in the latter role would not only balance these figures out, but provide an alternative route to goal to help peg opponents back. 

 

Diaby would certainly be able to get defences on the backfoot given his penchant for running at opponents with the ball at his feet. A return of 1.7 successful dribbles per 90 in the Bundesliga last season was a commendable return, though a success rate of 48.6% shows this is an area to his game that needs refinement. Nevertheless, the confidence to get back on the ball and the determination to try to get the better of a marker again and again is a quality that should be applauded. 

 

 

When Diaby does gain a head of steam, he is one who looks to cut infield in pursuit of goal rather than get to the byline to put a ball into the box. Indeed, of the nine league goals he scored last season, seven were with his wand of a left foot. With a willingness to cut inside, Villa therefore would benefit from a maurauding full-back in reserve to drive into the space Diaby does vacate. Ashley Young's departure means Matty Cash should provide that offensive support, though he has a lot to live up to with Diaby used to working in tandem with Dutchman Jeremie Frimpong. 

 

Importantly is that three of his nine goals were from counter-attacking situations; no player scored more in the Bundesliga last season.This is where the directness to his game really comes to the fore. Villa scored a modest five counter-attacking goals in the Premier League last season, but with Diaby prepared to get the ball down and drive into space, that number would surely rise. 

 

To go with his nine goals, Diaby also registered eight assists for Bayer Leverkusen last season, that ranking joint-ninth in the Bundesliga last season, but crucially; five of these were for Frimpong, with the France star and his Dutch counterpart enjoying a prolific partnership down the right. This again reinforces the notion that whoever is used at right-back for Villa next season needs to be prepared to burst up field to provide support for Diaby. 

 

That said, as effective as Diaby may be when his side are on the frontfoot, his work off the ball leaves little to the imagination. The Frenchman's defensive work, or lack thereof, is a weakness to his game, and this would be capitalised upon by the Premier League's bigger teams. He did, after all, commit more fouls (18) than made tackles (14) in the Bundesliga last season, and if he isn't pulling his weight to help the defence, then it'll be the equivalent of playing with 10 men when Villa don't have the ball. 

 

Yet if Emery can improve this side to his game, then he'll have a very, very effective attacker on his hands. Diaby is an exciting winger that will crucially boost Villa's options in the final third should they get this deal done as they look to build upon a successful second half to the 2022/23 campaign.

Why Aston Villa are willing to smash their transfer record for Moussa Diaby