Bayer Leverkusen agree deal to re-sign Moussa Diaby from Al-Ittihad

Bayer Leverkusen have reached an agreement with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad to re-sign France winger Moussa Diaby, according to German newspaper Bild.

The Bundesliga club will pay 30m euros for the 27-year-old, with Diaby set to earn 6m euros a year at Leverkusen, Bild reports. The agreement would bring the player back to the club three years after he left for Aston Villa.

Diaby remains under contract with Al-Ittihad until the summer of 2028, but the Saudi club have agreed terms with Leverkusen for his return to Germany.

Al-Ittihad signed Diaby from Aston Villa in the summer of 2024. The Saudi Arabian side paid 60m euros for the winger, who had joined the Premier League club from Leverkusen the previous year in a deal worth 15m euros.

During his time with Al-Ittihad, Diaby helped the club win the Saudi league title and the Saudi Cup in the season before last. He scored 11 goals and provided 29 assists in all competitions for the club.

Diaby began his professional career with Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Leverkusen in the summer of 2019. He established himself as an important attacking player during his first spell at the German club, earning recognition for his pace, direct running and delivery in the final third.

His performances for Leverkusen led to a move to Aston Villa in the summer of 2023. After one season in England, however, he continued his career in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad.

The reported agreement would now see Diaby return to the club where he first made his name outside France. The Frenchman’s proposed salary at Leverkusen is 6m euros per year, while the transfer fee is understood to be 30m euros.

The deal comes after Diaby’s two-year spell with Al-Ittihad, where he contributed 40 goals and assists across all competitions. His record included 11 goals and 29 assists, as well as the league and cup successes achieved with the Saudi club in the season before last.

Diaby’s career has therefore taken him from Paris Saint-Germain to Leverkusen, Aston Villa and Al-Ittihad. If the agreement is completed, he will return to Leverkusen after departures that took him first to England for 15m euros and then to Saudi Arabia for 60m euros.