Aston Villa have secured the signing of midfielder Amadou Onana from Everton in a £50m deal.
The 22-year-old, who played every minute of Belgium’s Euro 2024 campaign, will now have the chance to compete in the Champions League with Villa this season.
Onana, who joined Everton from Lille for £33m in 2022, made 72 appearances and scored four goals for the Toffees. He was linked with Arsenal in 2023, and numerous top clubs expressed interest in him this summer.
Villa manager Unai Emery was in search of a new defensive midfielder following the club’s sale of Douglas Luiz to Juventus for £42.35m in June.
Villa, who finished fourth in the Premier League last season, are bolstering their squad for the upcoming Champions League campaign, their first since the 1982-83 season, the year after they won the European Cup.
With Onana’s arrival, Villa’s summer spending has reached approximately £140m.
The club has also invested £35m in signing Ian Maatsen from Chelsea, £18.6m for the dual acquisition of Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus, £18m to bring back Jaden Philogene from Hull, £5m for Ross Barkley’s transfer from Luton, and £9m for Lewis Dobbin’s move from Everton.
Villa’s Premier League season will kick off at West Ham on Saturday, 17 August.