After three years, Moussa Diaby completes return to Bayer Leverkusen

Moussa Diaby’s return to Bayer Leverkusen became official after a delay caused by missing signatures from his former club, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad FC. The 27-year-old winger had already been in Leverkusen for four days before the announcement.

Leverkusen said Diaby had signed through the summer of 2031. Media reports put the transfer fee at nearly 30 million euros. Sporting managing director Simon Rolfes said the Frenchman’s pace and dribbling would give the attack more quality and options.

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With his exceptional pace and dribbling, he will add quality and even more options to our attacking play. He will be an asset to the whole Bundesliga.

“When the request came and the move became possible, I didn’t hesitate for a second,” Diaby said at his official presentation. “The idea of striving for titles with Bayer 04 is wonderful, and a very big goal of mine.”

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When the request came and the move became possible, I didn’t hesitate for a second.

Diaby previously spent four years at Leverkusen, from 2019 to 2023. He played 173 matches for the club, scoring 49 goals and setting up 48 more. Leverkusen sold him to Aston Villa in the summer of 2023 for a reported 50 million euros.

After one season in the English Premier League, Diaby moved to Al-Ittihad in 2024. In Saudi Arabia, he played alongside fellow Frenchman Karim Benzema and won the Saudi league title once and the Saudi Cup once.

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The idea of striving for titles with Bayer 04 is wonderful, and a very big goal of mine.