It was already in the offing, now Bayer 04 Leverkusen announced completion: winger Moussa Diaby is leaving the factory club and moving to Aston Villa in the Premier League.
According to media reports, Bayer should receive a transfer fee of 55 million euros plus bonuses. Overall, the transfer could have a volume of 60 million euros. Four years ago, the lightning-fast attacker switched from Paris St. Germain to the Rhine for 15 million euros. Only national player Kai Havertz brought in more money in 2020 with his transfer to Chelsea for around 80 million euros.
“Moussa Diaby has developed into a fantastic player during his time at Bayer 04,” said Leverkusen’s sporting director Simon Rolfes: “We will follow his path with great sympathy and wish him every success.”
Reunion with Leon Bailey
At Aston Villa, Diaby meets his former Bayer teammate Leon Bailey, who moved to Birmingham in 2021 for a fee of 32 million euros. It can be assumed that Rolfes will still be on the lookout for a replacement for Diaby and will reinvest at least part of the Diaby transfer fee into the new player.
A few hours earlier Bayer had already announced the commitment of striker Victor Boniface. The 22-year-old Nigerian comes from Belgian top club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise for around 16 million euros and is set to replace Czech international striker Patrik Schick, who will be out until October. Boniface signed until the summer of 2028.
