The surname Diaby is one of the most common names in West Africa, and is the 3,104th most common family name in the world. With statistics like that, it’s a little surprising that before Aston Villa’s new man, Moussa had arrived on the scene there had just been one Diaby before him in the Premier League, in the form of Arsenal’s Abou.

The history of the name in English footballing circles has been synonymous with wasted potential. The ex-Gunners star’s time as a professional was predominantly spent in the treatment room, incapacitated by a string of serious injuries.

To the contrary, Moussa has only ever spent a total of 18 days out with a selection of niggles during a career already spanning six years, so if he comes to Villa with the same promise as his unfortunate counterpart, Abou, Unai Emery may just be on to a winner.

While the Villans faithful wait patiently to assess what their new signing can bring, many will still be wondering who exactly the relatively unknown, Moussa Diaby is, let's take a look...

Who is Moussa Diaby?

Born in 1999, in La Ville-Lumière to Malian parents, the Parisian mirrored the eternal glimmer of the city from which he derived his shining footballing ability.

A product of Paris Saint Germain’s world-renowned Academy, the 5'7 winger has represented his country at every age group from the under-18s upwards. At the age of 17, the versatile left-winger was the recipient of the prestigious Titi d'Or which is awarded to the best, and most promising talents in the PSG youth setup, with other notable victors including Kingsley Coman, Alphonse Areola, and Odsonne Edouard.

At 19, the fledgling prospect flew the nest for the first time, heading to Italy and Crotone for his first taste of senior football.

While on the six-month loan at the Serie A side, Diaby featured on just two occasions for the struggling Southern Italians who were very much engulfed in a relegation dogfight that subsequently resulted in their fate being confirmed as a Serie B side the following season.

In what many would consider a baptism of fire, Diaby put his experiences to good use, breaking into the PSG first team during the 2018-19 campaign, and turning out for the French Titans on 25 occasions, registering a seriously impressive return of 11 G/A contributions in his debut season for the club.

Irrespective of his scintillating start to life at the Parc des Princes, the club's hierarchy deemed the player surplus to requirements during the summer of 2019, offloading him to 2002 Champions League finalists, Bayer Leverkusen to the tune of £15 million.

During his maiden campaign in North West Germany, the tricky forward rapidly enhanced his reputation, and almost immediately endeared himself to Die Schwartzroten's fanbase, finding the net on eight occasions and teeing up his teammates on a further eight more in 39 appearances.

Yet, it was the 2020-21 campaign that was the real watershed moment for the former PSG man who contributed 25 G/A in 43 appearances, equating to a goal involvement every 1.72 games. Since then, the Frenchman has earned his stripes as an international and has gone on to tally another 56 G/A in the following seasons.

How much is Moussa Diaby earning?

Signing on the dotted line in the West Midlands for Unai Emery's Aston Villa during the 2023 summer transfer window for a club-record fee of £51 million and for an unspecified contract length, the 24-year-old arrives at Bodymoor Heath with weighty expectations placed upon his slender frame.

While the current figures concerning his wage structure at Villa Park are yet to be divulged, his £40,000 per week paycheque at Bayer Leverkusen will presumably be dwarfed, especially taking into account he is now Villa's record signing, and will likely be comparable to some of the clubs highest earners, who are banking north of £7 million annually.

What Aston Villa supporters can expect from Moussa Diaby

There is an air of Arjen Robben meets Raheem Sterling in the way Moussa Diaby plays football. Agile in the transition, and explosive when he beats his man, the left-footed winger relies heavily on close ball control to nimbly take on opposition.

A fullback's worst nightmare, Diaby's dexterity is equally formidable when opting to cut inside, as it is when he deploys his rapid speed to leave defenders in his wake when choosing to take the ball on the outside.

Potent and measured in front of goal, and supremely accurate in execution, it is no wonder the forward has played in every position across the front three.

His vast potential attracted glowing approbation from the discerning France head coach, Didier Deschamps who claimed "He has the option of using both feet. He's versatile, in addition to his ability to accelerate, he's rather skillful, and he has a large volume of play. This desire that he has, the France team needs players of this type there too".

With a solid rating of 7.06, the playmaking goalscorer was ranked 27th on Whoscored's list of the best Bundesliga players last term.

With one of the most productive goal-involvement tallies in the league, with 17 G/A contributions. Despite a seriously expert offering, the 2021-22 campaign remains Diaby's pre-eminent year in professional football, filing a 25 G/A return, the fourth highest in the Bundesliga, firing himself to a career-finest 13th in Whoscored's player ratings.

If the French international can replicate the same level of performance as he has done over the past two seasons, he'll have no issue acclimatising to the demands of the Premier League.

Did you know?

Moussa Diaby's decision to leave the homely surroundings of Paris was, in part, due to the advice of then-PSG head coach, Thomas Tuchel.

The German football manager advised the young prospect to make the move to the Bundesliga, he told French publication L'Equipe (via Get French Football News):

“I often watched Leverkusen matches on TV and I was struck by their spectacular, attacking style of play. I also spoke with Thomas Tuchel, who wanted to keep me, but when I told him that I wanted more consistent playing time, he told me that Germany would be the perfect place for me vis-à-vis my qualities. I have the feeling that this is effectively the ideal club for me to enjoy myself and to become a great player at.”