Aston Villa are in talks with Everton over a £50 million deal for Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana.
The 22-year-old joined the Toffees from Lille for £35m in August 2022, making 72 appearances but struggling this year to cement his place as a first-choice starter.
Onana’s total of 23 starts for Everton in 2023/24 represented six fewer than the former Hoffenheim and Hamburg player made during his first season at the club.
He was ever-present as a defensive midfielder in Belgium’s underwhelming Uefa Euro 2024 campaign, which ended with a 1-0 defeat to France in the round of 16.
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Aston Villa transfer news: Onana in?
Speaking earlier this year, Everton manager Sean Dyche said there was “a long way to go” in Onana’s development.
“He’s got to learn the ugly side of the game in terms of being a complete player,” said Dyche. “He’s a talent, obviously. He’s fantastic physically.”
Shortly after being appointed, Dyche asked former Belgium midfielder Steven Defour, who played for him at Burnley between 2016 and 2019, to offer Onana guidance.
“It was simple and quick but helped a lot, because he’d played in the Premier League and had been in the game for so long,” Onana told The Athletic of his discussion with Defour.
Onana playing style
“The manager said he wanted me to learn the ugly side — those are his terms — and I’m getting more familiar with it,” said Onana. “I’m improving there.
“There are more experienced players than me and players across the league I can learn a lot from. You can never learn enough. There’s always room for improvement.”
Villa are likely to need a deeper squad this season because their involvement in the expanded Champions League, having finished fourth in last season’s Premier League.
Villans manager Unai Emery has already added to his midfield options this summer, bringing in Ross Barkley from Luton Town and Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus.
