Aston Villa secures the services of midfielder Amadou Onana from Everton in a £50 million transfer within the Premier League.

Aston Villa have completed the permanent signing of midfielder Amadou Onana from Everton in a deal worth a reported £50 million, according to the BBC. The 22-year-old has bid farewell to Goodison Park after spending two years with the Toffees.

Onana becomes the seventh addition to Unai Emery’s squad this summer, joining the likes of Ross Barkley, Ian Maatsen, Samuel Iling-Junior, and Enzo Barrenechea at Villa Park. Additionally, Cameron Archer has returned to the club following his loan spell at Sheffield United, which was triggered by a unique agreement between the two clubs due to The Blades’ relegation last season.

The signing of Onana marks the second acquisition from Everton for The Villans in this transfer window, with Lewis Dobbin having joined the club in June for an undisclosed fee. As part of that deal, 20-year-old Iling-Junior moved in the opposite direction and left Villa to join the Serie A side.

During his time at Everton, Onana made 72 appearances after joining from LOSC Lille in 2022. He played a crucial role in helping the Toffees avoid relegation by a mere two points during the 2022/23 season.

On the international stage, Onana represents Belgium and has earned 17 caps for The Red Devils since making his debut under Roberto Martinez. He featured in all four of Belgium’s matches at Euro 2024 in Germany before they were knocked out in the last-16 stage by France.

Emery is strengthening his squad ahead of Villa’s return to the UEFA Champions League, the pinnacle of European club football. The Spanish manager guided the team to a surprising top-four finish last season, their highest in the top-flight since the 1995/96 campaign.