Unai Emery excited by what Moussa Diaby brings to Aston Villa
- Oscar Sanders
- 21 August 2023
Aston Villa fans can expect much more from versatile club record signing Moussa Diaby, says head coach Unai Emery.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery believes club record signing Moussa Diaby will become a fan favourite and justify his price tag.
The France winger, 24, signed from Bayer Leverkusen in July for a fee which could rise to a reported £51.9million, showed further glimpses of his Premier League potential in Sunday's 4-0 home win against Everton.
Having scored on his Villa debut in the 5-1 opening-day defeat at Newcastle, only a superb save from Jordan Pickford denied him another goal on Sunday as Villa put hapless Everton to the sword.
Emery said: "Yes, he can add to us more goals, run behind the opponents. He can help us being versatile as a 10 or a seven.
"He can drop as a midfielder more or less. I think he can improve and he is demanding himself.
"He is young, but he is mature. I want players like that, very demanding and taking a commitment to improve and create something here with the team and individually."
Villa responded in style to their heavy loss at Newcastle and led 2-0 at half-time through John McGinn's opener and Douglas Luiz's penalty.
Leon Bailey and teenage substitute Jhon Duran then pounced on defensive errors to seal a comfortable win for Villa.
Everton boss Sean Dyche wrote the afternoon off as "a collective down day" and is hoping to strengthen his squad before the transfer window closes.
A new striker is high on Everton's list of targets and they will step up their pursuit of Southampton's Che Adams after Dominic Calvert-Lewin's latest contribution lasted just 38 minutes.
The England centre-forward, dogged by injury last season, needed lengthy treatment and was later withdrawn with a swollen cheekbone after colliding with Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
Dyche said: "We are in for a number of situations, whether they can come into fruition, I am waiting on news.
"The first bit of importance is we've got to operate with what we've got.
"There's no magic wand, there never was when I got the job and there are no shortcuts, because shortcuts in football usually cost a lot of money.
"We are working hard to construct deals that can affect us in a positive way.
"These deals at the minute, I'm waiting for news - any deals, that is not about Che Adams, that is any deals."
