Unai Emery could now land an ‘outstanding’ Douglas Luiz replacement as Aston Villa eye player valued at £50 million.
Aston Villa have made a busy start to this summer transfer window as Douglas Luiz looks set to join Juventus while Samuel Iling-Junior and Weston McKennie are moving in the other direction.
The Villans are also willing to offload striker Jhon Duran to Chelsea but only if they get a player from Stamford Bridge in return.
Whilst Duran is a talented forward with huge potential, Luiz is the bigger of the two losses as he played a fundamental role in Unai Emery’s system last term.
Luiz was at the heart of their success as Villa finished in the Champions League, with the Brazilian featuring 53 times in all competitions, scoring 10 and laying on the same number of assists.
It’s become abundantly clear that replacing the 26-year-old is more important than finding a successor to Duran, and reports claim they have their eye on someone who could fill that void.
Aston Villa make enquiry for Everton midfielder Amadou Onana
According to The Times, Aston Villa and French giants Paris Saint-Germain have made enquiries for Everton midfielder Amadou Onana.
Onana – who Everton value at around £50 million – has also received long-standing interest from Arsenal however, the report claims the Gunners aren’t presently ready to press ahead with their interest.
The Toffees are hoping to sell the Belgian instead of star defender Jarrad Branthwaite to satisfy their profit and sustainability rules that way.
Onana joined Goodison Park for £34 million from Lille in the summer of 2022, and the 2001-born midfielder featured 30 times in the Premier League last term, scoring twice.
Unai Emery can transform Amadou Onana into a Douglas Luiz replacement
When Emery arrived at Villa Park in November 2022, Luiz was used under previous managers as a combative midfielder, whose primary focus was to protect the defence and lend the ball to his more creative teammates.
The Spaniard has since transformed the Brazilian into the complete midfielder, who is adept at winning possession back but also wreaking havoc in the final third.
Onana currently plays in a deeper midfield role at Everton in Sean Dyche’s defensive system. The 22-year-old’s ball-winning attributes therefore stand out, ranking in the top 8% of midfielders across Europe for tackles and the top 6% for aerials won.
Described by former Premier League striker Darren Bent as “outstanding”, Onana has the potential to become the complete midfielder that Luiz transformed into at B6.
The Belgian monster currently averages 4.61 progressive passes per game, an 84.1% pass completion and 1.25 touches (Att Pen). If he joined Villa, the man management of Emery and a high-pressing system would see those metrics – and others – increase tenfold.
Replacing Luiz is arguably the biggest task on Aston Villa’s hands this summer but the £50 million rated Onana could potentially fill that void.
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