Michael Carrick’s Manchester United face a major roadblock in their pursuit of Aston Villa midfield mainstay Amadou Onana.
Amadou Onana’s future has become an interesting talking point, as Manchester United have revived their interest in the Belgian international. The player seems interested in a move away from Aston Villa, but according to Pete O’Rourke via Football Insider, Unai Emery’s team are determined to keep him at Villa Park beyond this season, and only a massive financial offer could tempt them to change their stance.
Onana made quite a name for himself while playing for Everton. On the back of his consistent performances, multiple top clubs were after his signature, including Manchester United. But Aston Villa managed to beat the competition as they struck a £50 million deal with the Toffees to sign him back in 2024.
He has only gone from strength to strength since moving to Villa Park and has been a constant feature in Emery’s team. He still has over three years left on his deal, but he has been linked with a move away. The player has suggested that he wants to play for a world-class club, and interest from United could turn his head.
The Red Devils want to freshen things up in the centre of the park. With Casemiro leaving the club at the end of the season, the 24-year-old could be the perfect replacement for the Brazilian international. However, signing him won’t be that straightforward, as Emery has no intentions of letting him leave.
Onana’s departure looks very unlikely
The Spanish manager wants to build a team around his best players, and Onana is very much a part of that group. Having signed him for a massive £50 million, Villa will only consider a potential departure if they have the opportunity to make a significant profit.
While speaking about Onana’s future, O’Rourke said, “I don’t think Emery would welcome any move for Onana. He has become a key man for his side.
“He wants to keep him and build his team around his best players and Onana is definitely one of those. So I don’t think Villa would welcome any interest from Manchester United.
“We know United want midfield reinforcements. Onana is a player that they’ve had previous interest in. So I think it’s one of those where he probably still remains on the list.
“But he’s probably not at the top of it. We know all the other names that they’ve been linked with, the likes of Carlos Baleaba, Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson. I think they would all figure above Onana.
“And as I said, I don’t think Villa would be very keen on losing Onana. They want to continue to build on the success they’ve had over the last couple of seasons.
“They don’t want to weaken their squad by letting key players leave, and he is under contract until 2029, so I don’t think they’re planning to let him move any time soon.”
Villa are in a very comfortable position regarding his future as he still has a lot of time left on his deal. More importantly, Uniter have other top targets; as a result, they are unlikely to break the bank on Onana. A move to Old Trafford for the Belgian international appears highly unlikely unless Villa’s valuation is met.
