Aston Villa complete signing of £50m midfielder from Everton

Aston Villa have signed midfielder Amadou Onana from Everton for a fee believed to be in the region of £50m.

Villa recently sold star player Douglas Luiz to Juventus last month in a part-exchange deal that saw Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenchea head to the West Midlands.

But with a Champions League campaign on the horizon, Unai Emery has been eager to strengthen his squad, particularly in midfield, with the likes of Conor Gallagher and Giovani Lo Celso touted as transfer targets in recent weeks.

News of Villa's plans to sign Onana first emerged on Saturday morning, and they have now beaten the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich to the signing of the Belgium international.

Onana first moved to the Premier League in 2022 when he joined Everton from French side Lille. At the time, he also received an offer to sign for West Ham United, but opted for the Toffees instead.

The midfielder ended up making 72 appearances across all competitions for Everton, scoring four goals. Crucially, reports have claimed this bumper sale will allow Everton to keep hold of England defender Jarrad Branthwaite this summer, with the club having already rejected two bids for him from Manchester United.

Villa and Everton had already conducted business this summer prior to opening negotiations over Onana. Tim Iroegbunam made the move to Villa Park for £9m, while Lewis Dobbin went the other way for £10m.

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