Aston Villa have signed midfielder Amadou Onana from Everton in a £50m deal.
The 22-year-old played every minute of Belgium’s Euro 2024 campaign and now has the opportunity to represent Villa in the new season’s Champions League.
Onana joined Everton from Lille for £33m in 2022 and made 72 appearances for the Toffees, scoring four goals.
He was linked with a move to Arsenal in 2023, and a host of top clubs were reportedly keen this summer.
Villa boss Unai Emery had been in the market for a new defensive midfielder after the club sold Douglas Luiz to Juventus for £42.35m in June.
“I’ll be playing in the Champions League again and that’s very exciting,” said Onana.
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“We also have a manager that’s one of the best in the business and I think he can take my game to the next level.”
Onana added that Villa midfielder and Belgium team-mate Youri Tielemans helped convince him to join the Midlands club.
“Youri played a big part in me being here because he told me lots of good stuff about the club,” said Onana.
Villa, who finished fourth in the Premier League last term, are strengthening for the challenge of Champions League competition in the coming campaign.
They have not featured at that elite level since the 1982-83 season, the campaign after they won the European Cup.
The arrival of Onana has taken Villa’s summer spending to about £140m.
Villa have also spent £35m on signing Ian Maatsen from Chelsea, £18.6m on the double signing of Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus, £18m on Jaden Philogene’s return from Hull, £5m on Ross Barkley’s move from Luton and £9m on Lewis Dobbin’s transfer from Everton.
They will begin their Premier League campaign at West Ham on Saturday, 17 August.
Sources: BBC Sport
