Aston Villa find direct Douglas Luiz replacement amid £50m transfer development
Dan Bardell believes that Amadou Onana will be a direct replacement for Douglas Luiz at Aston Villa.
Fabrizio Romano reported on 14 July that the Belgium international will undergo his medical with the Villans once he returns from holiday.
The 22-year-old looks set to leave Everton for £50 million plus potential add-ons. The Toffees have also inserted a sell-on clause into his contract.
Sky Sports and talkSPORT journalist Bardell has suggested that Onana could be a replacement option for Luiz who joined Juventus earlier in the window.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell said: “I think when Douglas Luiz left, Unai Emery identified that he did want to bring in a direct replacement.
“He’s not the same type of player but is a high-level central midfielder.
“Emery’s identified that over the years Villa are a team that has been lacking height and a lot of the signings Villa have made this year have been six foot plus.
“If Emery wants someone then fans are going to trust that it is the right thing to do. Villa are now blessed with a lot of options in central midfield.
“They have lost arguably their best central midfielder in Douglas Luiz. Now as a unit, you look at some of the players who won’t be playing every game, it’s difficult to pick a team.
“It’s a great place for the club to be in, especially after the back end of last season where everyone was running on empty.”
Aston Villa set to sign Amadou Onana
The Villans were all but forced into selling the Brazil international this summer as a result of Premier League’s PSR rules.
Luiz left Villa Park in a deal which saw Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea move the other way to join up with Emery’s squad.
Neither of these two additions will directly replace the 26-year-old who became a top-level box-to-box midfielder under the Spaniard.
Onana coming in from the Toffees will bring some of the qualities that the Villans lost by adding some physicality to the midfield conversation.
£50m is a positive fee for an experienced international and Premier League player who will only get better playing in the Champions League next season.
In other Aston Villa news, Greenlight now given as Kelechi Iheanacho transfer development emerges.
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