FIRST BIBS 

Aston Villa set to make £25m transfer move for midfielder Habib Diarra – but Chelsea chiefs will have final say..read more details.

 

Aston Villa are preparing a **£25 million bid** for **Strasbourg midfield prodigy Habib Diarra**, but there’s a major twist—**Chelsea may have the final say** on where the 21-year-old ends up.

 

### 🔍 The Player: Who is Habib Diarra?

 

Habib Diarra has emerged as one of the hottest young talents in Ligue 1. The Strasbourg midfielder impressed in the 2024–25 season with his high-energy displays, creative spark, and relentless work rate.

 

* **Age**: 21

* **Nationality**: Senegalese (also represented France at youth level)

* **Position**: Central/box-to-box midfielder

* **2024–25 Stats**: 30+ appearances, 4 goals, 5 assists

* **Strengths**: Press resistance, ball progression, versatility

 

Diarra has been described by scouts as a “complete modern midfielder”—capable of breaking up play, carrying the ball through midfield, and contributing in the final third.

 

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### 💼 The Transfer Tug-of-War

 

Aston Villa are keen to get the deal over the line quickly, with manager **Unai Emery** eager to bolster his midfield options ahead of a demanding **Champions League campaign**.

 

However, **Chelsea’s ownership complicates the picture**:

 

* **Strasbourg are owned by BlueCo**, the same ownership group behind Chelsea.

* Chelsea **hold influence** over Strasbourg’s player sales and can **block or redirect deals** as they see fit.

* If Chelsea believe Diarra has Premier League potential, they could **retain him within their own system**, either by transferring him directly to Stamford Bridge or controlling where he moves next.

 

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### 🤝 Why Villa Want Him

 

Unai Emery sees Diarra as an ideal fit for his system. Villa have already offloaded **Douglas Luiz** and could lose more midfield depth this summer, making reinforcements crucial.

 

Villa value Diarra for:

 

* His **tactical intelligence**, able to shift between a deep role and attacking transitions

* His **youth and resale value**—aligned with Villa’s new, data-driven recruitment strategy under Monchi

* His **Champions League readiness**, providing energy and depth for multiple competitions

 

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### ⚠️ The Chelsea Factor

 

Chelsea’s involvement means Villa’s bid is not simply a matter of offering the right price. BlueCo could:

 

1. **Divert Diarra to Chelsea** if they view him as a future prospect

2. **Demand a buy-back clause or sell-on options**

3. **Block the deal entirely** if they feel it weakens Strasbourg too much without benefit to the wider group

 

This dynamic raises questions over **multi-club ownership models**—and whether clubs like Villa are at a disadvantage when negotiating with teams in those networks.

 

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### 🔚 Final Word

 

Aston Villa are doing all they can to secure **Habib Diarra** in a £25m move, but in the end, it may be **Chelsea’s executives who make the final call**. If the deal goes through, Villa will land a high-upside, versatile midfielder to elevate their squad for Europe. But if Chelsea intervene, this could turn into another high-profile case of **ownership overlap affecting the transfer market**.