Jacob Tanswell

Aston Villa forward Moussa Diaby has joined Al Ittihad in a permanent transfer. Earlier this week, The Athletic reported that the two clubs were working on a deal worth around €60million (£50.6m; $65.3m). The 25-year-old joined Villa from Bayer Leverkusen last summer on a five-year contract in a deal worth around €40m plus add-ons. The France international scored 10 goals and provided nine assists across 54 appearances for Unai Emery’s side but has now completed a permanent move to Saudi Arabia. Diaby was also the subject of links to the Saudi Pro League last summer before his move...

Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran says he hopes something comes of rumours linking him to “big teams” this summer. Duran has attracted interest from West Ham United, while fellow Premier League side Chelsea had been considering a move for the 20-year-old earlier this summer. Villa are open to Duran leaving to enable them to strengthen in attacking positions. “I take it very calmly with the help of my agent and my dad, we are taking everything little by little,” Duran said to ESPN Deportes when asked about the possibility of moving clubs. “That my name is mentioned with such big teams,...

When transfer spending sprees go wrong - featuring Jamie O'Hara, Paul Konchesky and Guido Carrillo, among others

A number of players and coaches at academy level have moved from West Brom to Aston Villa in recent years - this is why

Aston Villa’s record signing Moussa Diaby is set to join Al Ittihad in a deal worth around €60million (£50.6m; $65.3m). The 25-year-old has agreed personal terms and a long-term contract with the Saudi Pro League club. Diaby joined Villa from Bayer Leverkusen last summer in a deal worth around €40m plus add-ons. He signed a five-year deal which runs until 2028. He made 54 appearances in all competitions last season, providing 10 goals and nine assists and featured in all 38 of Villa’s Premier League fixtures as the club qualified for the Champions League for the first time in...

Southampton’s head of national recruitment Simon Jones has left the club and is set to join Tottenham Hotspur. Jones, who joined Southampton from Birmingham in September 2021 as initially a lead regional scout, was promoted to head of national recruitment, looking after the age groups between under-14s and under-19s. He is likely to reunite with Jack Chapman, who made the same move earlier this summer to become Tottenham’s new head of academy recruitment. Both figures were highly rated at Southampton, with Chapman credited with helping to rebuild the recruitment and pre-academy...

After a flying start to his Villa career, Diaby's form tailed off — and now there's strong interest from Saudi Arabia after just a season

From Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas to Alisson and Fabinho, this is when Premier League clubs got their transfer windows just right…

This is the weekly edition of The Transfer DealSheet, your place for everything transfers during the summer window

Southampton have agreed a deal worth up to £18million with West Ham United for midfielder Flynn Downes. The Athletic reported Southampton were in discussions with West Ham over a deal for Downes. Full-back Kyle Walker-Peters had been in line to move in the opposite direction, but the deal for Downes is a straight fee and Walker-Peters is not involved. The Southampton defender remains a player under consideration for West Ham this summer. Downes spent last season on loan at Southampton and made 36 Championship appearances as the club secured promotion back to the Premier League via the...

Amadou Onana is heading for Aston Villa and he looks ideal for an Unai Emery midfield

Southampton forward Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez is close to signing for Lyon. As The Athletic reported in May, Gomes Rodriguez has been considering his options following a contract proposal from Southampton. It is expected that Lyon will pay £150,000 for the player, £75,000 for each year he has been at Southampton. The 16-year-old, who was born in Venezuela and has Portuguese citizenship due to his grandparents, is an England youth international and highly-rated, attracting interest from elsewhere. Gomes Rodriguez’s Portuguese passport has meant he can circumvent Brexit restrictions which...

Leeds United have completed the signing of midfielder Joe Rothwell on a season-long loan from Bournemouth. Rothwell, 29, joined Bournemouth on a free transfer from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2022 after Bournemouth were promoted to the Premier League. The Englishman made 35 appearances during two seasons at the club, helping Bournemouth maintain Premier League survival. He spent the second half of the 2023-24 season on loan at Southampton, where he scored four goals and provided one assist in 20 games to help the club achieve promotion from the Championship to the top flight. He was an...

Watkins has become one of the most potent forwards in Europe – The Athletic asked those who tried to stop him in his tracks what it's like

Aston Villa have made a move to re-sign Jaden Philogene from Hull City by activating a matching rights clause they negotiated in the deal that saw him sold to the Championship club last summer. After Hull received an offer from Ipswich Town worth £18milllion, the 2023 agreement provided Villa with 72 hours to exercise their option. Villa have chosen to do this and the figure will be reduced by 30 per cent because of a sell-on clause that was also placed in the terms that took Philogene to Hull. Personal terms were pre-agreed when the 22-year-old winger left Villa for the MKM Stadium. If Hull...