Amadou Onana, a midfielder for Everton, has signed a £50 million contract with Aston Villa.
The 22-year-old, who participated in every minute of Belgium’s Euro 2024 campaign, will now get the chance to play for Villa in the Champions League this coming season.
For £33 million in 2022, Onana left Lille to join Everton, where he played 72 games and scored four goals.
Several elite teams were allegedly interested in signing him this summer, and he was linked to a transfer to Arsenal in 2023.
Villa manager Unai Emery has been searching for a new defensive midfield player after the team’s June £42.35 million sale of Douglas Luiz to Juventus.
Villa, who placed fourth in the Premier League the previous season, is getting stronger in preparation for the task of playing in the Champions League next year.
Since the 1982–83 season, which came after they won the European Cup, they have not appeared at that high level.
With Onana’s arrival, Villa has already spent around £140 million on the summer.
In addition, Villa paid £35 million to get Ian Maatsen from Chelsea, £18.6 million to acquire both Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus, £18 million to bring back Jaden Philogene from Hull, £5 million to acquire Ross Barkley from Luton, and £9 million to acquire Lewis Dobbin from Everton.
They will begin their Premier League campaign at West Ham on Saturday 17 August.