Arsenal will not sign Everton midfielder Amadou Onana this summer despite heavy transfer links as the 22-year-old completes a blockbuster £50 million move to Premier League rivals Aston Villa.
A statement signing from the Villains, who are preparing for next season’s Champions League campaign, the confirmation on Monday comes as a blow to Manchester United and Newcastle United, as well as the Gunners, with all of those top-flight clubs said to be interested in the player.
There were also reports of potential bids ahead of the summer window with Football Insider claiming that Arsenal could fork out £70 million for the player to bolster their midfield options for the 2024/25 campaign.
Confirmation of the transfer came on the Aston Villa official website on Monday. A statement read: “Aston Villa is delighted to announce the signing of Amadou Onana from Everton. A deep-lying midfielder adept at breaking up play and winning back possession, Onana links up with Villa having recently represented Belgium at UEFA Euro 2024.
“The 22-year-old took his first steps in professional football with Hamburger SV in Germany before spending a year at LOSC Lille in Ligue 1. Onana would then join Everton in the summer of 2022, going on to make over 70 appearances for the Toffees, scoring three times last term.
“On the international stage, he has been capped 17 times by his country. Welcome, Amadou!”
The transfer comes after Unai Emery’s side sold midfielder Douglas Luiz to Juventus for £42.35 million. The Brazil international was another defensive-minded midfielder who had been linked with an Arsenal move in recent years.
