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Emile Heskey: Amadou Onana will prove to be a bargain for Aston Villa
Onana's Transfer Fee Will Look Better Value in Years To Come
There’s no doubt Amadou Onana’s £50m arrival from Everton caused something of a stir. To some, it felt like a lot of money to spend. Nevertheless, I think he’s a fantastic signing for Aston Villa.
I mean no disrespect to Everton but it’s difficult to stand out in that team, which is often greater than the sum of its parts. But he managed to look outstanding at times in an Everton jersey.
However, he’s now showcasing his full ability and talents in a technically better team – like we’ve seen him do with Belgium.
Villa boss Unai Emery and the club’s recruitment department will have looked at him and thought ‘he fits our profile and style, he can get up and down the pitch, he’s 6ft 5in and can play’.
In years to come I’m confident he’ll prove to be an absolute bargain for Villa. He’s already stepping up to the plate now, scoring in Villa’s recent win at Leicester.
Villa's Unai Emery Is Proving He's No One-Season Wonder
I’ll be totally honest: I didn’t know what 2024/25 would have in store for Villa but, after two wins in their first three games, Unai Emery is showing us that last season was no fluke.
Villa are there to stay, competing at the top end of the Premier League. Emery is a fantastic manager. He’s proven it time and again abroad and now he’s doing it at Villa Park too.
Their owners have deserved this resurgence. They’ve put a lot of money into the club over recent years and haven’t had much to show for it before Emery’s arrival. I think they’re starting to get back what they’re putting in now.
Before the season started, I didn’t expect them to repeat last season’s top-four finish. I had my doubts as to whether they’d even qualify for Europe again.
I’m already revising my expectations for Villa based on their first few games.
The one concern I do have is their squad depth. They need some luck in keeping the group together. They can’t have as many injuries as last season. If they can keep injuries to an absolute minimum, they’re going to have a fantastic season and finish in the top four again.
Emery Will Know How To Deal With The Champions League
I think Villa will do well in the Champions League this season. They’ve got a very experienced manager. He understands when to go gung-ho and when to be conservative. He’s a master at knowing the right tactics for certain games at different stages of the competition.
It’s one of Emery’s strong suits. When you’ve won major European trophies in the past, you understand what it takes to make cup finals and handle the latter stages of big competitions.
This will allow him to pick the right team to beat whichever opposition they face in the Champions League.
I played in the Liverpool side which won the UEFA Cup. Our manager – Gerard Houllier – knew and understood the game-by-game tactics of European competition in the same way as Emery does. That’s half the battle in the best competitions.
I'm Encouraged by Jhon Duran's Potential
Villa also has plenty to be excited about in the striking department. Aside from Ollie Watkins, Jhon Duran looks to be another solid long-term prospect.
He’s a great hold-up player – a more traditional number nine for Villa to play the ball into and allow him to bring others into the game through his strong link-up play. He can finish too, mind you.
Like most managers at top clubs, Emery has decisions to make with his attacking options and it’s horses for courses, isn’t it?
Sometimes you need someone like Duran to relieve pressure and hold the ball up. On other occasions, you’ll need someone like Watkins to run in behind and cause problems. More often than not, Villa will need and pick Ollie but Duran is technically very good.
He’s the second choice for now but, at some stage, he’s got to stake a claim to try to become the number-one striker.
Competition for places is very good for Villa but I would advise Jhon to try to stand out now.