Contact made: Villa eye move for £50m “warrior” who’s an ideal Gallagher alternative – opinion

Aston Villa are eyeing up a move for a Premier League starlet this summer…

Aston Villa look to be stepping up their pursuit of a handful of key targets at present, as Unai Emery aims to strengthen ahead of participating in the Champions League next season.

The Villans appear to have a deal for Ross Barkley all but secured, while both Samuel Iling-Junior and Weston McKennie could also be on their way to Villa Park, as part of the deal for Douglas Luiz to join Juventus.

That impending exit could bring with it further midfield additions, however, with Emery and co looking at a couple of standout Premier League talents – according to reports…

Aston Villa eye dream Conor Gallagher alternative

It is no secret that the Midlands side are looking to sign Gallagher this summer, with Chelsea seeking a fee of around £50m in order for Emery to secure his services.

Given that Douglas Luiz appears to be leaving Villa, it is clear another midfielder is pivotal ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

While Gallagher could be a solid signing, might Emery target another Premier League midfielder with bundles of talent instead? As Amadou Onana has emerged as a potential signing.

According to TEAMtalk, Villa have made contact with Everton over a swoop for the young Belgian starlet. The report states that Villa has touched base with the Toffees over a move but have yet to submit a proposal.

He could cost the same as Gallagher – £50m this summer – and the deal could perhaps represent better business than going all out for the Chelsea midfielder.

How Amadou Onana compares to Conor Gallagher

Gallagher performed across a variety of roles last term, predominantly operating as an attacking midfielder, but also slotting in slightly deeper when required, making 50 appearances in all competitions, chipping in with 16 goal contributions in the process.

Onana, on the other hand, is more defensive-minded, preferring to operate as either a central or defensive midfielder in the current Everton side. Despite this, he still registered three goals and an assist in 37 matches last term, indicating that he can get forward when needed.

The duo aren’t actually that far apart with regard to attacking statistics. Gallagher registered 3.14 shot-creating actions and 1.38 shots per 90 in the league last term, with Onana registering 2.41 shot-creating actions and 1.25 shots per 90 in the same time frame, which suggests that Gallagher perhaps is in the right place at the right time much more often.

Defensively, however, Onana comes out on top in a few metrics. Not only did he win a greater percentage of aerial duels (74.3% vs 47.2%) compared to Gallagher, but he also won a higher percentage of challenges (50% vs 42.9%) and more total duels won (six vs 5.7) in the top flight last season.

It is no surprise then to see the Belgian sensation dubbed a “warrior” by analyst Ben Mattinson in March this year, and he could be an ideal signing for Villa.

While he may not offer the same qualities going forward as Gallagher, Onana is wonderful when his side don’t have the ball, regularly winning aerial duels and adding a solid presence in the heart of the midfield.

He is still only 22 years old too, which means the midfielder has arguably yet to even hit his peak, suggesting that Emery could even stand to make a massive profit on the player should he blossom at Villa Park.

Gallagher has been excellent for Chelsea recently, but signing Onana may be the most logical move by the Spaniard this summer.

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