Amadou Onana has been linked with a move to Aston Villa

HomeExclusives Sat 29 June 2024 8:10, UK

Alan Hutton has backed Aston Villa to replace outgoing star Douglas Luiz with Everton midfielder Amadou Onana this summer.

Luiz appears set to depart Villa Park this summer, with reports suggesting he has undergone his medical ahead of a move to Juventus which will see Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea head the other way [Fabrizio Romano, 27 June].

Unai Emery and his recruitment team are expected to quickly look for a replacement for the Brazilian and it has been reported that Villa have enquired to Everton about the availability of Belgian international Onana [The Times, 14 June].

While Hutton has been left bemused by the Villans' decision to allow Luiz to depart this summer, he does admit Onana has both the skillset and experience to step into the fold and replace the Brazilian at Villa Park.

"He is that defensive-minded player, but he can get forward as well," Hutton exclusively told Villa News.

"I think that's what Douglas Luiz gave you. For me, it is such a big area of the pitch to be missing somebody like Luiz.

"He gives you so much from taking the ball off the centre-halves, moving through the lines and his set-pieces so I think he's going to be a huge loss.

"To bring somebody in like Onana who is an international player, knows the league and is more than capable would be ideal. We're talking about an experienced player, not just a youngster who's coming in from Serie A or wherever he might be coming from.

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"I think we need those types of players as well. It will be interesting to see how this develops because this is all rumour at this moment in time and it is hard to keep up with.

"But it is about getting it right and getting the blend right to hit the ground running at the start of the season.

Will Everton sell Amadou Onana to Aston Villa amid PSR concerns at Goodison Park? Replacing Luiz is going to be no small feat for Villa this summer. While some will argue the likes of Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins have been more consistent, the Brazilian was a core part of everything good last season at Villa Park.

Onana isn't the perfect midfielder, but he has shown both on the club and international stage that he has the potential to be a world-class player. Maybe under the management of Emery, he would be able to hit the heights expected of him.

Aston Villa and Unai Emery have to replace Douglas Luiz this summer He won't come cheap, but Everton's financial position likely means that they would accept a reasonable offer if it arrived at Goodison Park.

If Monchi and the rest of the recruitment team decide to pursue their interest, the Villans could well have already found their Luiz replacement.

In other Aston Villa news, the Villans are believed to be ready to sanction the summer sale of Cameron Archer after a Bournemouth transfer update