- 15 hours ago
Amadou Onana: Arsenal, Man Utd & Chelsea's PAIN is Aston Villa's GAIN
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 13 Jul 2024 15:24 BST
- 5 min read
Aston Villa have made a serious statement with their transfer business so far this summer.
Unai Emery masterminded a fourth place finish in the Premier League last season, securing Champions League qualification in the process.
As they prepare for life in Europe’s elite club competition, the Birmingham-based outfit have made significant strides towards competing with the very best teams on the continent.
READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024 - All the Done Deals
Douglas Luiz’s exit will be sorely felt, with the Brazilian an assured presence in central midfield, but their summer business has been extremely positive.
In addition to Luiz, Morgan Sanson, Calum Chambers and Philippe Coutinho (loan) have all left.
Youngster Tim Iroegbunam has departed too - for Everton - with Lewis Dobbin moving in the opposite direction.
READ MORE: Chelsea want to sign England's Euro 2024 hero
However, Villa’s incoming transfer activity has been nothing short of superb.
Ian Maatsen is currently their most expensive arrival, following his €44.5 million move from Chelsea. The Dutchman was never given a legitimate first-team chance with the Blues, but he shone on loan at Borussia Dortmund last campaign and played a key role as they reached the Champions League final.
Left-back didn’t appear to be an area of concern for Villa, due to the presence of Lucas Digne and Alex Moreno, however Maatsen is expected to become first-choice.
Furthermore, Emery’s side have added Juventus duo Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea - both of whom are talented players in their own right - as well as Ross Barkley from Luton Town.
Barkley was a standout player under Rob Edwards last year, enjoying a career renaissance in a new deep-lying midfield role. If he is able to replicate that at Villa Park, his €5.9m transfer fee will soon look like a bargain.
Cameron Archer has also re-joined the club due to a clause guaranteeing his return if Sheffield United were relegated back to the Championship.
However, the most exciting new arrivals haven’t yet been confirmed.
Jaden Philogene has been involved in a strange transfer saga involving Barcelona and Ipswich Town, but Aston Villa have now reached an agreement to re-sign the winger from Hull City.
The 22-year-old notched 12 goals and six assists in 32 Championship games last campaign, while only four players in the second tier of English football mustered more than his 87 successful take-ons.
In addition, Aston Villa are on the verge of signing Everton midfielder Amadou Onana for €60m, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
Why Amadou Onana is a fantastic signing for Aston Villa
Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea have been linked with a move for Onana over the past 12 months, but they have all missed out on his signature.
Bayern Munich and Newcastle United were also interested, however Villa have stolen a march and are set to sign the Belgium international for a fairly decent fee.
€60m isn’t an insignificant price by any means, but Chelsea paid €116m for Moises Caicedo last summer, while Romeo Lavia - with only one season of senior football under his belt - cost the Blues €62.1m.
Furthermore, Villa are signing the perfect player to bolster their midfield. From a physical point of view, Onana is 6ft4in, incredibly strong and possesses immense stamina.
His defensive nous is also top notch and while there are some doubts over his ability on the ball, those are mostly wide of the mark and the Belgian is certainly impressive in possession.
Onana is, however, a ball-winning specialist - he ranked 25th for tackles in the Premier League last season - while he will add to Villa’s aerial threat from set pieces.
The Belgian isn’t a controller in possession like Luiz, but he is the perfect partner for his international team-mate Youri Tielemans and the pair could form a formidable double pivot next season.
STATS
A. Onana
M, DM (C)
Everton
A. Onana
M, DM (C)
Everton
Luiz’s exit initially looked as though it would severely hamper Villa’s options in the middle of the park. However, a midfield core of Onana, Tielemans, Barkley, John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara is extremely strong and one that will provide Emery with multiple options across all competitions.
Signing Onana is an outstanding piece of business from Aston Villa and proves they are ready to mix it with the Premier League’s ‘big six’ on a consistent basis.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd would all have improved by adding Onana, and Villa will be a serious force yet again next year.
