Aston Villa: Moussa Diaby has now done something 'unexpected' at Villa Park | OneFootball

Aston Villa ace Moussa Diaby has been on glittering form since his summer arrival and transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed what he did not expect of the French international, while speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

Unai Emery’s side have enjoyed a relatively promising start to 2023/24, despite crashing out of the Carabao Cup at the hands of Everton.

Aston Villa news – Moussa Diaby

Admittedly, it has been a jumbled start for Villa. On a domestic front, they sit in sixth place after six games, having won four and lost the other two. Losing 5-1 to Newcastle United would’ve definitely been a low point for Emery and his players, but they have seemingly bounced back, at least in the Premier League.

Kicking off their Europa Conference League campaign in terrible fashion has also been a thorn in their positive start to league football having lost to Legia Warsaw 3-2 in a five-goal thriller. To boost their chances at silverware this term, Emery spent big – yet wisely – across the summer months but their Diaby outlay is the pick of the bunch.

Many of England’s top clubs will be looking at Diaby’s £51.9m switch to Villa Park with heavy regret given the promise he has shown week-in week-out thus far. The former Bayer Leverkusen man has given Emery and his entourage a new outlet at the top of the pitch and complements Ollie Watkins to a tee, notching two goals and assists apiece in that sequence, too, per Transfermarkt.

A right-winger by trade, he has been typically utilised infield in the centre-forward role where has formed a two-striker system alongside Watkins. Labelled ‘one of the signings of the season’ by MailOnline’s Tom Collomosse, Diaby, who pockets a healthy £130k-a-week at Villa Park, had been monitored by Villa for the last two years and once they finally got their man, there was no looking back for the two-time European champions.

Moussa Diaby has thrived in new role given by Unai Emery – Dean Jones

On the Frenchman, transfer insider Jones has admitted that, despite playing out of position, it seems as if Diaby has taken to life in the Premier League with relative ease. The reliable reporter suggested that he has earned his place playing through the middle, and it is now up to him to retain his spot under Emery. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said…

Will Ollie Watkins sign a new contract at Villa Park?

Diaby’s partner up top, Watkins, has not been his usual self in front of goal since the new campaign got underway, scoring just the solitary goal in six Premier League outings. This has, however, not stopped Emery and the Villa higher-ups in their attempts to tie him down on fresh terms.

According to BBC Sport, the Midlands club are in the midst of offering the Englishman a new long-term contract with the club. Since joining Villa, the striker has developed into an England international, having been capped seven times. Transfer insider Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that all relevant parties had been in discussion over a new deal and added that retaining his services will be imperative to Villa’s continued progression.

Signing for a then club record fee of £28m - potentially rising to £33m - back in 2020, Watkins has been key to Villa’s rise up the rankings and has proven to be a reliable threat in the final third for since his arrival, scoring 47 goals in his 126-game Villans spell. Granted, he has not been at his best in 2023/24 but the Villa Park faithful need to remain patient to see Watkins return to his fine goalscoring form.

Reports suggested over the summer months that Premier League trio Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal were all keen on acquiring his signature as they were on the lookout for attacking reinforcement themselves. The former Exeter City man remained untouched, though, and now looks to be extending his stay in the Midlands.