Aston Villa’s start to the season has seen one summer signing receive huge praise for his performances.
Unai Emery overhauled his Aston Villa squad in the transfer window, as seven players were sold permanently while the same number arrived in the opposite direction.
The most notable departures were Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby, who joined Juventus and Al-Ittihad respectively, while Emery used that cash wisely to improve his side.
Villa shelled out £37.5 million to Chelsea for left-back Ian Maatsen, and £13 million to Hull City for Jaden Philogene but neither of those key additions have had the impact one player has.
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Amadou Onana named one of the Premier League’s best signings
That player is Amadou Onana, who was captured from Premier League rivals Everton for £50 million, becoming their marquee signing and Luiz’s replacement.
The Belgian has quickly announced himself to the Villa faithful after scoring three goals in his first five appearances, including strikes against West Ham, Leicester City and most recently, in the Champions League against Young Boys.
Onana’s blossoming partnership with Youri Tielemans has played a vital role in Emery’s men securing four victories from five in all competitions.
Further, the 23-year-old is also proving that Villa weren’t wrong to shell out £50 million for the midfield powerhouse, with former defender James Collins claiming he could be one of the Premier League’s signings of the summer.
Collins said, as per Birmingham Live: “Amadou Onana really could be one of the signings of the season, in my opinion. I watched him against West Ham on the opening day, and he absolutely ran the show.
“He was sensational. I think the fee for him could rise to £50m, but I honestly believe that could be an absolute steal of a purchase, because he’s already running the show, he’s scoring goals, he’s athletic… I think it’s a great bit of business, that.”
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Why Onana will play vital role in Aston Villa vs Wolves
The difference in how Onana plays under Emery compared to how he was used under Sean Dyche is chalk and cheese.
While at Everton he was more of a midfield destroyer, who broke up play and had increased defensive responsibility, he’s now used as a weapon by Emery at Villa Park.
Unlike at Goodison Park, Onana is given license to drive into the box from deep, scoring from inside the area against West Ham and Leicester while hitting a pile driver from range in Tuesday’s win.
In Saturday’s visit of Wolves, the Belgian powerhouse will get his first taste of a West Midlands Derby, with tempers expected to be at an all-time high.
Onana, alongside Tielemans, should relish their battle with Wolves trio Mario Lemina, Andre and Joao Gomes; three crucial players in Gary O’Neil’s engine room.
Nonetheless, with Wolves collecting just a point from their opening four matches, the onus is on Villa to pile further misery onto their Midlands rivals, and Onana can be at the forefront of that punishment.
