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Unai Emery completely changed how £52m attacker was viewed at Aston Villa last season
Despite all that Aston Villa achieved last season, it’s been a summer of change for Unai Emery ahead of beginning the side’s Champions League campaign.
Remarkably, Emery has already welcomed six signings to the club, whilst rivals Arsenal and Liverpool are yet to make a significant move.
Of course, Villa have also sanctioned the departure of Douglas Luiz who will be missed, but then swiftly replaced by Everton’s Amadou Onana.
In truth, Monchi is doing a commendable job, improving Villa’s squad so they can seriously compete to remain in Europe’s top competition.
That being said, it’s been viewed as something of a surprise that Villa may be willing to part ways with Moussa Diaby this summer.
The 24-year-old only signed for Emery’s side last summer, and was initially being hailed as one of the transfers of the season.
However, in the second half of the campaign Diaby found himself on the periphery of things, no longer considered the perfect choice for his manager’s plans.
Unai Emery saved Moussa Diaby from Antony comparisons at Villa
That being said, have now been providing more insight into Diaby’s arrival at the club when discussing the possibility of him now leaving.
And if the Frenchman does depart this summer then it’ll be as a better player – one who has ridden the idea of him simply being a one-trick winger.
READ MORE: Aston Villa think they have a player who could sell for £25m, he’d fund the Joao Felix deal
Before Emery signed Diaby, the report mentioned details that many considered the France international in a similar vein to Nicolas Pepe when he was at Arsenal, or Antony who is still at Manchester United – who’s games are limited by being very one-footed.
However, the Aston Villa manager had the foresight to transform Diaby, sculpting him into a well-rounded attacking player.
Emery re-designed Diaby into a second centre-forward, someone who became one of the best call-carriers in the league.
Of course, the winger’s directness was eventually his undoing when Emery preferred to keep more control in possession, but the Villa manager displayed all of his coaching ability when developing Diaby’s game.
So even if it is only a short stay for Diaby in the Midlands, he would leave a better player, one equipped to play in all attacking positions.
That being said, Villa could now rival Arsenal to sign one ‘world-class’ midfielder.