Unai Emery beat his former club Arsenal to sign one of Aston Villa’s big-name captures this summer.
With less than two weeks to go until the 2024/25 Premier League season gets underway, Unai Emery will look to make the final changes to his squad.
Aston Villa have seen huge change unfold this summer, with plenty of new arrivals and key departures to report.
Out of the seven new arrivals at Bodymoor Heath, the most valuable transfer has been the £50m capture of Amadou Onana from Everton.
- READ MORE: Amadou Onana names the one player who played a ‘big part’ in him joining Aston Villa from Everton
Arsenal wanted to sign Amadou Onana before he joined Aston Villa
Villa’s move for Onana developed fast as Monchi and Emery acted promptly behind the scenes to secure the midfielder’s signature.
After a phenomenal two years at Goodison Park, it was no surprise to learn that the Belgian had many admirers before deciding to make B6 his new home.
One club that were rumoured to want the 22-year-old was Emery’s former club Arsenal, as reported by football.london.
The Gunners are still on the prowl for a new midfielder, with it reported that Edu actually ‘made contact’ with Onana before he joined Villa.
Now knowing that Arsenal were eyeing the Belgium international, him choosing Villa is even more of a boost as it reinforced the club’s growth under Emery.
Villa can give Onana the perfect setting to grow
While there’s no doubt that Onana would be a regular at clubs such as Arsenal, a move for Villa made the most sense for the combative star.
Despite being a player who has shone in Ligue 1 and the Premier League, the midfielder is still only 22, with a lot of room to grow yet in his career.
For this reason, joining Emery at Villa Park might have been the perfect move for Onana, given how much the Spaniard has improved most of the individuals in his squad.
- READ MORE: Unai Emery told Amadou Onana made Aston Villa ‘better’ in 4-1 pre-season defeat to Columbus Crew
At the point of signing, the Belgian explained why he chose Villa from his list of admirers, via Aston Villa’s official website.
“There’s a healthy atmosphere here to grow as a player and as a man,” Onana said.
“The team played very attractive football last season with loads of goals and will now be playing in the Champions League.
“I’ll be playing in the Champions League again and that’s very exciting. We also have a manager that’s one of the best in the business and I think he can take my game to the next level.”
From the relegation-threatening form shown during Steven Gerrard’s final months in 2022/23 to reaching the Champions League, Villa’s growth has become even more evident this summer.
Before Emery’s arrival, it would be puzzling to see a player nearing the top of his game snub Arsenal for Villa however, Onana’s decision to join the Villans only shows the distance the club have grown thanks to the manager’s influence.
