They won’t make a profit, of course β nobody expects that from Saudi clubs. But Al Ittihad have at least managed to recoup a respectable portion of what they invested when they signed Moussa Diaby from Aston Villa in June 2024, as the Frenchman is now returning to Bayer Leverkusen. And for a record fee, if we count Saudi clubs’ sales to clubs from other countries.
Leverkusen initially came in with an offer of 18,000,000 euros, before the figure rose to 27,000,000 euros, according to German outlet Kicker, which was the first to report the news. Fabrice Hawkins, one of the more respected transfer specialists, claims the fee is as high as 37,000,000 euros, while Bild puts it at 28,000,000 euros. The discrepancy could certainly be down to bonuses.
Whatever the exact figure, it is still the biggest transfer out of Saudi Arabia. Until now, only left-back Moteb Al-Harbi had moved for more, but that was a domestic transfer from Al-Shabab to Al-Hilal, worth 28,950,000 euros. When it comes to Saudi clubs selling players to clubs abroad, the previous record holder was Argentine Ezequiel Fernandez, whom Al-Qadsiah bought from Boca Juniors for 18,700,000 euros before selling him last June for 25,000,000 euros.
And, once again, the buyer was Bayer Leverkusen. He clearly made a good enough impression for Leverkusen to realize that Saudi clubs don’t have to be viewed solely as markets to sell to β they can also be used as a source from which to recruit quality players. That said, Diaby is already very familiar to everyone in Leverkusen.
He made 172 appearances for Bayer, scoring 49 goals and providing 47 assists. For Al Ittihad, he later played 56 league matches, contributing nine goals and 21 assists.