Aston Villa have signed Amadou Onana from Everton for a fee in the region of £50million ($64.6m).
Our writers — experts in transfers, tactics, data and football finance — have come together to rate this summer’s senior Premier League transfers in five categories, with each aspect given a score out of 100, to reach a total score out of 500. Hence, The Athletic 500. The ratings are explained in more detail here (not all transfers will be rated as there may be a lack of data to support an analysis).
Below is our rating for this move.
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Tactical fit — 68/100
A look at how the player fits into his new club tactically, using Sentient Sports’ bespoke tactical-fit model, explained by our tactical expert.
Onana stands out due to his excellent off-the-ball qualities. He averages 3.1 tackles won per 90 minutes (92nd percentile in comparison to his positional peers, so he is in the top eight per cent). His ability in aerial duels (99th percentile) makes him a great addition for Villa. Additionally, he excels at ball recoveries (6.9 per 90, 87th percentile).
His tackling reach is impressive and his upper body strength makes him a reliable ball-receiver under pressure. His off-the-ball movement is intense; he covers a lot of ground, reads the game well, stops transitions and blocks passing lanes. His ball retention and short passing are good and he can carry the ball through all phases of play.
As shown below, using data from smarterscout — which gives players a series of ratings from zero to 99 based on how often they perform a specific action or how effective they are at it — Onana excels in disrupting opponent moves and dominates in the air. However, his defending intensity is relatively low, indicating a need for more aggression in one-on-one situations.
While playing for Belgium against England in March, we can see Onana’s anticipation and ability to disrupt opponents.
Ezri Konsa passes the ball to Kobbie Mainoo, but Onana anticipates the pass and successfully tackles, creating a turnover in possession. This allows Leandro Trossard to set up an attacking opportunity for Romelu Lukaku.
Unai Emery uses a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 setup with a double pivot in midfield. At Villa, Boubacar Kamara and the recently departed Douglas Luiz provided cover and support in all thirds. Onana could slot into this double pivot.
His ability to break up play and shield the back line would be invaluable, especially in transitions where Villa look to maintain a high defensive line and aggressive press. His competence in carrying the ball forward and initiating attacks suits Emery’s preference for quick ball progression and transitional play.
Emery’s teams are known for their quick transitional attacks, often utilising central combinations and wide players cutting inside. Onana can support these, but there will also be an increased expectation to retain and recycle the ball to sustain pressure on the opposition.
Defensively, Onana’s role would be to maintain the team’s shape and support the pressing structure. In a high press or mid-block, Onana can provide cover in central areas, so Villa are not exposed to counter-attacks. His ability to read the game can help in identifying pressing triggers and closing down opponents.
However, there are areas where Onana needs improvement. He lacks the ability to dictate games and needs to add variation to his passing, as indicated by his 4.6 progressive passes per 90 (48th percentile). His experience in possession-based systems is limited, having not played in such a setup at Everton.
As shown using data from smarterscout, Onana’s limited involvement in short passing combinations and link-up play suggests he is not as active in maintaining possession and facilitating fluid ball movement. He appears average in possession, and more likely to make off-ball runs than carry it himself.
Onana’s dominant presence, strong tackling, and ball-winning abilities make him a good fit for Villa. While he may need to improve his involvement in possession, a player of his quality improves the midfield.
Gillian Kasirye
Season rating: 65/100
Rating the player over the course of last season, using statistics from The Athletic’s data team.
In 37 appearances across the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Carabao Cup, Onana contributed three goals and one assist. He was generally a fixture in Dyche’s starting line-up, helping Everton achieve a broadly successful season in comfortably avoiding a relegation scrap — earning a starting position in Belgium’s midfield for the European Championship.
While his performances have earned him international recognition, it is worth noting that he lost his place in Dyche’s starting line-up towards the end of the campaign.
After going 4-0 down to Chelsea before half-time, Onana was replaced at the break in an eventual 6-0 defeat in mid-April. He continued on the bench until the season’s penultimate game, when he re-established himself from the start with a good performance in a broadly inconsequential 1-0 win over already relegated Sheffield United.
Anyone who has seen Onana play will not doubt his talent. Still, the fact that he started in just five of Everton’s 13 Premier League wins last season is a standout statistic.
Elias Burke
Gaming rating: 74/100
Rating the player according to Football Manager 2024’s data across both current and potential ability.
Onana joins Villa ready to compete for a place in Emery’s starting line-up, but he has the potential to reach greater heights.
The 22-year-old has a current ability rating of 137 on FM24, a solid number compared to his midfield counterparts. For context, John McGinn leads the way among Emery’s options with a score of 153, followed by Boubacar Kamara (147), Youri Tielemans (147), Jacob Ramsey (141) and fellow new recruits Ross Barkley (141) and Enzo Barrenechea (128).
While that might not be enough to excite Villa supporters, Sports Interactive’s extensive scouting network believes he has the potential to become one of the league’s best central midfielders. With a potential ability rating of 160, Onana’s ceiling is impressive. This would see Onana reach a similar current level to Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez (158), who started in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Colombia in the Copa America final.
Elias Burke
Financial value rating: 59/100
A four-category summary of the player’s transfer in financial terms — and whether it makes sense for his new club
Market value — 15/25
It is a sizeable jump on the £33million Everton paid Lille two years ago, but the fee is perhaps in-keeping with a midfielder who has more than held his own in the Premier League. Still only 22 and broadly in keeping with the finances of Douglas Luiz’s transfer to Juventus.
Squad cost — 12/25
Villa have spaces to fill in midfield and Onana has arrived to remedy that. The outlay will certainly be among Villa’s biggest of the summer and, given the PSR headaches of recent months, there will not be endless pots to spend. A big chunk goes on Onana.
Contract sensibility — 15/25
No contract length was reported, but Villa would be expected to plan for a long-term deal to provide protection should his development accelerate in the coming years. The hefty fee paid will inevitably put Onana among the club’s higher earners.
Resale value — 17/25
It is worth remembering that Onana does not turn 23 until the season’s opening month and the expectation is that he will develop his game further playing in a Champions League team. The reported interest of Arsenal and Manchester United suggests Onana will retain suitors.
Philip Buckingham
Risk or reward? 65/100
Is there a history of injury or other problems that could crop up and make this deal a bad one in retrospect? Or does the player come with a clean bill of health? Our expert takes a look.
Replacing Douglas Luiz in the Villa midfield was never going to be easy, but Onana brings new qualities that Emery admires.
While he probably cannot control matches like Luiz and does not yet have the capacity to efficiently break down opponents’ defences with line-splitting passes, Onana is a midfield dynamo with room to grow. He was not always consistent in an Everton shirt, and their fans would advise that he is not the finished article, but his physicality, athleticism and height bring a different dimension to Emery’s midfield that may prove crucial against top teams in the Champions League.
Undoubtedly, the fee is a considerable price to pay for the services of a player who has not proven himself at the elite level, but Villa needed to make a splash in the midfield after losing Luiz. There is the added wrinkle that he is joining a stacked midfield cast at Villa Park, and there are no assurances that he will play every game — perhaps by design, given Villa will be competing on four fronts again in the upcoming season.
Encouragingly, his injury record suggests he’ll be available for the ride. Onana has missed eight games across his two seasons at Goodison Park — a solid record for a combative midfield player who plays with his heart on his sleeve.
Is this all enough to replace Luiz, one of Villa’s main men last season? Only time will tell.
Elias Burke
Overall rating: 331/500
(Photo: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)