Overview
- German outlets report that Bayer Leverkusen and Al-Ittihad reached a verbal agreement on Wednesday for Diaby’s transfer with the fee placed around €28–30m.
- Diaby is said to have agreed personal terms on a five-year contract running to June 2031 and is expected to undergo a medical in the coming days.
- The clubs resolved a payment dispute that had delayed the move, clearing the way for final paperwork and an official announcement once the medical is complete.
- Leverkusen view the signing as a sporting reinforcement rather than a loan, bringing back a player who scored 49 goals and supplied 47 assists in 172 games during his first spell at the club.
- Diaby left Leverkusen in 2023 for Aston Villa and then joined Al-Ittihad, where he made 56 league appearances with nine goals and 21 assists, and his return could shape Leverkusen’s attacking options this season.