Manchester United are looking at Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana as they seek to accelerate their plans to bolster the midfield department ahead of next season, as per Football Insider.
The Red Devils are set for a busy summer transfer window and they could make two defensive midfield signings. Casemiro is on his way out when his contract concludes on June 30. Man United have already made an announcement.
Manuel Ugarte has played second fiddle to the Brazil international this campaign and was linked with a mid-season move away from the Red Devils. He could likewise be offloaded, having failed to adapt to the Premier League demands.
Football Insider now claim that United are keeping a close watch on Onana, having missed out on signing him from Everton in the summer of 2024. Back then, Villa prised him away from the Toffees for around £50 million.
Onana has personally admitted his desire to play for a ‘world-class‘ club in the future but it won’t be easy to prise him away. The Villans will want a sizeable profit on their investment to part ways with the Belgian midfielder.
Possible deal
United are set to make a huge outlay on the holding midfield department during the summer. The priority could be on signing Premier League-based players, who can seamlessly adapt before the 2026/27 campaign.
Hence, the Onana link does not come as a surprise. The 24-year-old is a strong midfielder with a dominating presence. This season, he has completed 87% of his passes and has won an impressive 66% of his duels. He has been brilliant in the air with a 75% duel success rate.
The Belgian has also averaged 2 tackles, 3 recoveries and almost 2 clearances per game. At 24, he is just entering the peak phase of his career and would be a wonderful replacement for Casemiro in the United ranks next term.
Onana has opened the door for a bigger challenge away from the Villans, but Unai Emery’s side could play hardball in negotiations. They could easily demand £80 million or more to contemplate the sale of the former Lille man.
That is not beyond the reach of the Red Devils, who spent more than £200 million last summer without European football. If they were to return to the Champions League, the hierarchy could be prepared to meet Villa’s price tag.
