A work permit blew it all up
Fifteen points. That was the total Moussa Diaby needed for his GBE, the bureaucratic green light that lets an overseas player work in England.
He did not have them. His Saudi Pro League years and a thin recent France record dragged his score down. The agreement with Sunderland collapsed on that basis alone. Not the fee, not the wages, a points system.
So he goes elsewhere. Kicker and Fabrizio Romano report, with Foot Mercato confirming, that Al-Ittihad and Bayer Leverkusen have a verbal agreement in place. Paperwork began moving on Wednesday.
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Inter had a go, and got nowhere
This one dragged for weeks. Inter Milan made a serious approach after testing the water back in January. Their opening bid of 20 million euros was turned down flat.
Al-Ittihad were in no rush, certainly not at that price. Leverkusen then arrived with a figure in the same range as the Italians. The Saudi club blinked, by which point Diaby had already rejoined training with his team-mates.
It needed all of that for the German club to reclaim a player they know inside out.
172 games, 49 goals: no guesswork here
Diaby’s first stint on the Rhine is not distant history. 172 appearances, 49 goals. That is where he built his name and forced his way into the France setup, before Aston Villa came calling in the summer of 2023 and Saudi Arabia after that.
Bayer get a plug-and-play winger in a league he has already conquered. No settling period, no leap of faith on potential.
What three seasons away from the European spotlight have done to him is the open question. The Bundesliga will supply the answer soon enough.
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