Amadou Onana outlines world-class ambition after Villa progress

Amadou Onana has made his long-term ambitions clear, admitting he believes a move to a “world-class club” is part of his future — while crediting Unai Emery for accelerating his development at Aston Villa.

The Belgium international was speaking at an event organised by IFREQ, a Belgian start-up specialising in player performance analysis, when he was questioned about his career trajectory, his progress at Villa Park and what lies ahead.

Onana joined Aston Villa in July 2024 after two seasons at Everton, turning down interest from Manchester United after giving his word to Emery. Since arriving in Birmingham, the midfielder has made 55 appearances for the club, 21 of them coming this season.

Injuries have disrupted his rhythm — he has missed more than 150 days through various issues — but when fit, Emery has consistently trusted him in key midfield roles.

That faith, Onana believes, has helped him reach a new level.

“I’m 24 and I feel like I’ve matured,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “In the past few months, I’ve played my best football ever. Emery helped me progress even further.”

Having followed Aston Villa closely this season, Onana’s improvement in positional discipline, ball recovery and composure in possession has been noticeable when he has been available.

When asked directly whether he sees himself playing for one of the world’s elite clubs, Onana did not shy away from the question.

“Yes, I think one day I’ll make a transfer to a world-class club,” he said. “That’s really a career goal.”

However, he was keen to stress that his current focus remains on Aston Villa.

“After my time at Everton, I was already in contact with top clubs. Ultimately, I chose Aston Villa because I thought it was the right move at the time.”

The comments underline a player confident in his upward trajectory, but not signalling an imminent exit from Villa Park.

Beyond club football, Onana also outlined his hopes for Belgium’s midfield setup, name-checking Aston Villa team-mate Youri Tielemans and Napoli’s Kevin De Bruyne as ideal partners.

“How can I say no when it comes to Tielemans and De Bruyne?” Onana said. “They’re players of a very high level. It’s an honour to be part of that triangle, if it’s the one the national coach chooses.”

He added: “We complement each other and don’t have to fear anyone.”

With a major international tournament on the horizon, Onana’s club form will be central to those ambitions.

From Aston Villa’s perspective, Onana remains a core asset when fit. His age, physical profile and tactical development under Emery mean any future transfer would likely command significant interest — and a substantial fee.

However, it remains too early to draw firm conclusions. Injuries have limited his consistency, and sustaining availability will be crucial if he is to justify talk of a world-class move.

For now, the focus is on continuity, fitness and helping Villa push forward domestically and in Europe.

Onana’s priority will be staying fit and maintaining momentum during the second half of the season. If he can do that, both Aston Villa and Belgium stand to benefit — and wider interest will inevitably grow. Any transfer discussion, however, is expected to remain a long-term consideration rather than an immediate objective.

Is Amadou Onana already on the path to a world-class move — or does he still have another level to reach at Aston Villa first?