How Aston Villa can replace Onana

Aston Villa’s rise under Unai Emery over the last couple of years has been nothing short of remarkable, and it’s allowed the club to be one of the leading forces in the Premier League.

The Spaniard has taken the Villans from mid-table mediocrity to constant European challengers – a once unthinkable feat just a handful of seasons ago.

The Europa League final triumph over Freiburg in Istanbul last season created new history for the club and finally ended their 30-year wait for any form of silverware.

However, it’s crucial that the hierarchy back Emery in the transfer market this summer to allow the boss to build on his latest Europa League title.

How Aston Villa can replace Amadou Onana

The central midfield department was certainly an area of the squad that the Villa recruitment team will have wanted to improve going into this summer’s window.

However, the importance of landing new options in the aforementioned department has only heightened after Amadou Onana suffered a serious injury at the World Cup.

The Belgian was withdrawn against the USA following an awkward fall, with scans confirming he has suffered an ACL injury, which is set to rule him out for the next nine months.

It’s a real shame for a player who’s constantly struggled with injuries in the West Midlands, with Emery now needing to try and find a solution to the issue.

Victor Lindelof could well be forced to operate in a midfield role for the Villans once again next season – a role he featured in during the closing weeks of the 2025/26 season.

Ross Barkley is a player who looks set to be moving one step closer to the exit door at Villa Park, whilst Douglas Luiz won’t be returning to the club following the expiration of his loan.

Boubacar Kamara is also sidelined until 2027 at the earliest with his own knee issue, which could see Youri Tielemans, Lamare Bogarde and Lindelof as the club’s only fit senior midfield options.

£7m target could be the perfect Onana replacement

There’s no denying the three aforementioned players are more than capable of stepping up to the plate next term, but squad depth and added quality is undoubtedly needed in midfield.

The balance between Premier League and Champions League football will be crucial next term and Emery will want added options to help cope with the added demand.

As a result, the Aston Villa hierarchy have already started working on a number of potential additions, including midfielder Pedro Vite from Mexican outfit Pumas.

It’s been reported by Ole via Sport Witness that the Villans have already reached out to the 24-year-old’s current employers to gain more information about a possible deal.

The report also states Pumas are yet to receive any bids for the Ecuadorian international this window, but could allow him to depart for as little as £7m before the end of the summer.

Vite may be an unknown quantity to many Villa supporters, but he’s a player who massively caught the eye for his nation during the ongoing World Cup across the pond.

The 24-year-old started all four of Ecuador’s games at the tournament, with his underlying stats showcasing his remarkable ability at both ends of the pitch.

He managed to create 2.2 chances per 90 whilst completing an average of 67 successful passes per game – with both tallies ranking him in the top 10% of players at the competition.

They subsequently highlight his excellent ability to dictate the play, just as Onana has done when fit and selected by Emery at Villa Park over the last few months.

However, without the ball, Vite also managed to impress in America, subsequently winning 5.8 ground duels and making 1.5 interceptions per 90.

His tallies of 3.8 tackles made and 7.3 ball recoveries made per 90 also ranked him in the top 5% of midfielders at the tournament – further highlighting his tremendous ball-winning ability.

Such levels are extremely similar to those produced by Onana before his injury, with Vite a player who can certainly fill the void left by the Belgian during his lay-off.

£7m for a player of the Ecuadorian’s quality would be a sensational piece of business for Villa and one that could see a huge profit made in the years ahead.

At just 24, he has bags of time to develop further in his career and could even be the perfect long-term solution to Onana should he ever depart the West Midlands.