Aston Villa have started negotiations with Al Ittihad over the sale of Moussa Diaby for a fee in the region of EUR55 million (around PS46 million). The player is open to the transfer, despite only joining the Premier League a year ago.

Al Ittihad in Negotiations to Sign Aston Villa Forward, Moussa Diaby Diaby Open to Leaving Fabrizio Romano reports that Al Ittihad "plan to advance" in their pursuit of Aston Villa man, Moussa Diaby. The Saudi Arabian club has begun negotiations with an initial proposal in excess of EUR50 million with add-ons, and it is believed the player is "open to the move". However, the Villans are holding out for more than EUR55 million as they regard the Frenchman "important" to the team.

It has been just a year since the player signed a five-year contract in what was a fantastic coup for the English side. The player had even rejected a "huge bid from Al Nassr" to join Unai Emery's project in a deal worth EUR50 million, and it was his preference to play in the Premier League that was a key factor.

Fast forward to now, the 25-year-old has seemingly changed his mind and is happy to feature in the Saudi Pro League. Fortunately for Aston Villa, they will at least recover a hefty portion of the money they had initially spent, with Al Ittihad willing to pay a significant fee for Diaby.

A Key Player for Aston Villa This news may come as a shock to fans, who were only just getting used to the player's contributions. He appeared in all 38 of Aston Villa's Premier League games, recording six goals and eight assists. The Frenchman's speed and technique made for an exciting player to watch; it would be a shame for the league to lose a talent of his calibre.

With Emery's men securing Champions League football for the first time since 1983, the next season will undoubtedly be a big challenge. It's been promising to see the team's various movements in the transfer market so far and Villa have introduced plenty of new faces to the team, including Ross Barkley and Ian Maatsen. Recently, they have also made significant progress towards signing Amadou Onana in a deal worth PS50 million.

However, despite these advancements, Aston Villa have been worryingly comfortable with starting negotiations for the sale of key starters ahead of such an important campaign.

Douglas Luiz was the first to walk, and Diaby could potentially follow - losing several vital players like this may damage the dynamics in what was previously a very successful system. As long as the club can target a suitable replacement, similar to the Onana deal, there is still the chance of them maintaining their performances from last season.