Aston Villa’s response to Man United’s Amadou Onana move revealed
Aston Villa are determined to keep hold of Amadou Onana beyond the end of the season despite renewed interest from Man United.
Unai Emery views the 24-year-old as an important part of his first-team squad and hopes he will continue to positive progress he has made at Villa Park.
Villa beat Man United to Onana‘s signature in 2024 after agreeing a £50million deal with Everton and now have no intention of losing him any time soon.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Transfer Insider podcast, Emery wants to build his squad around his best players including the Belgium international.
Onana started in Villa’s 1-1 draw with Leeds last time out, as they remain in the fight for Champions League qualification which would be a huge boost for their plans.
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Aston Villa respond to Man United’s Amadou Onana interest
Football Insider revealed on 20 February that Man United are keeping tabs on Onana as one of their top midfield targets and could accelerate a move in the summer.
However, there are other names on their list of targets which may give Villa confidence they can keep hold of him, while they remain ahead in league position.
Emery remains determined to prevent his best players leaving the club despite suggestions of financial issues, with Onana high on the list they want to retain.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: “I don’t think Emery would welcome any move for Onana. He has become a key man for his side.
“He wants to keep him and build his team around his best players and Onana is definitely one of those. So I don’t think Villa would welcome any interest from Manchester United.
“We know United want midfield reinforcements. Onana is a player that they’ve had previous interest in. So I think it’s one of those where he probably still remains on the list.
“But he’s probably not at the top of it. We know all the other names that they’ve been linked with, the likes of Carlos Baleaba, Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson. I think they would all figure above Onana.
“And as I said, I don’t think Villa would be very keen on losing Onana. They want to continue to build on the success they’ve had over the last couple of seasons.
“They don’t want to weaken their squad by letting key players leave, and he is under contract until 2029, so I don’t think they’re planning to let him move any time soon.”
Onana makes his stance on leaving Aston Villa clear
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Onana is edging towards leaving Aston Villa, although it would take a big offer to lure him away.
The Belgium international recently cast doubt over his future by confessing he wants to play for a “world-class club” and could be tempted to move on.
Both Man United and Barcelona were interested in Onana before Villa moved ahead of him to complete the deal, but they could now reignite their interest.
That interest has seemingly turned the head of the midfielder, while Villa could be tempted to accept a new offer should it meet their lofty valuation.
After his £50million arrival in 2024, Villa would be looking to make a profit on their investment, while he remains on a long-term contract in Emery’s side.
For the latest news on Emery’s ambitious transfer plans, head over to Aston Villa News.