Aston Villa's pre-season preparations have suffered a major setback with the confirmation that midfielder Amadou Onana has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while representing Belgium at the World Cup. The 24-year-old is expected to miss a significant portion of the upcoming season, with recovery from an ACL rupture typically taking at least seven months.
Injury Details and Immediate Impact
Onana sustained the injury during international duty, and Villa are now in contact with the Belgian national team to coordinate his rehabilitation. The club faces a dilemma: whether to sign a new midfielder to cover his absence or rely on Unai Emery's existing squad options. Given the financial constraints imposed by the Squad Cost Rules (SCR), Villa cannot replace Onana as easily as some rivals with greater spending flexibility.
Historical Precedent for Cover Signings
Villa have a track record of bringing in experienced cover when injuries strike. Last season, Douglas Luiz returned on loan from Juventus after Youri Tielemans joined John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara on the treatment table. Similarly, in summer 2023, Clement Lenglet arrived to cover for Tyrone Mings, while Nicolo Zaniolo was signed following Emi Buendia's long-term injury.
Potential Replacements: Yves Bissouma
Yves Bissouma is currently a free agent after his contract with Tottenham Hotspur expired earlier this summer. He could appeal as a short-term replacement for Onana, who is set to miss most, if not all, of next season. Villa were interested in signing Bissouma in summer 2022 before he joined Spurs, though he has not consistently reached expected levels in recent seasons.
Raphael Onyedika
When Kamara suffered a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury in January, reports in Belgium claimed Villa enquired about Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika. The 25-year-old has one year remaining on his contract, making this effectively Brugge's final opportunity to command a significant transfer fee. Onyedika is highly rated in Belgium and has made 183 appearances for Club Brugge. He also featured twice against Villa in the Champions League during the 2024/25 season, as Brugge lost 3-1 and 3-0 across the two legs of their last-16 tie.
Lucas Bergvall
Another previous target Villa could revisit is Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall. The 20-year-old Sweden international started just 11 Premier League matches last season and is reportedly keen to leave Spurs in search of more regular first-team football. Tottenham, however, are reluctant to sell Bergvall despite the player's desire to kick-start his career elsewhere.
Ilaix Moriba
Ilaix Moriba is another player to have been linked with Villa over the past six months. Emery was spotted watching Celta Vigo in person last season, although it remains unclear whether Moriba was the reason for his visit. Moriba spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Celta before completing a permanent move last summer. After progressing through Barcelona's academy, the midfielder struggled to establish himself during spells with RB Leipzig and Valencia. However, he has shown encouraging signs of rediscovering his best form at Celta. Last season, Moriba made 48 appearances in all competitions, including both legs of Celta's Europa League quarter-final against Freiburg.
Arthur Atta
Udinese midfielder Arthur Atta has been linked with Villa by reports in Italy following an impressive campaign last season. The former France Under-20 international joined Udinese from FC Metz last summer after initially arriving on loan. He started 29 Serie A matches last season but missed several games through injury. Despite that, he contributed five goals and four assists in the league.
