Amadou Onana was remembered for his solid presence during his two-season spell at Everton.
The Belgian hasn’t had the best first season away from Merseyside with Aston Villa since his £50m move.
Injuries have made it difficult for the midfielder, who was a big loss to Everton during the first half of the season.
Thankfully, David Moyes came in and turned the fortunes around with Idrissa Gana Gueye filling the void of Onana.
There seems to be a bit of bad blood between the club and player as Onana was jeered by Everton fans, but the story of him joining in the first place is some read.
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What convinced Amadou Onana to join Everton in 2022
The Belgian was a sought-after prospect before he made the move to the blue side of Merseyside.
Eventually, it came to fruition for Everton with a £33.5m fee cemented and Frank Lampard landing a promising talent.
Onana has gone on to become exactly that, but the midfielder thinks the Toffees have someone who can reach the top anyway, as Onana thinks Jarrad Branthwaite will be the best in the years to come.
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His £50m sale was unfortunate, but his arrival was what stood out, as West Ham United were also interested in Onana, who was 20 at the time.
Nevertheless, Onana wanted to play his football under Lampard after leaving Lille, and it was actually the former Everton boss who played a major role.
Speaking to the Inside Scoop, Onana claimed that Lampard did something that stood out to him, and ultimately convinced him to sign.
“Shoutout to him (Lampard), he was calling me every day (to sign him),” Onana said.
“When I say every day, it was like two, three times a day.
“Frank Lampard is calling my phone? This is crazy.
“Obviously, it’s hard to say no to him, as a midfielder, I knew I could learn a lot from him. I had to give in.”
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Everton will keep one eye on Onana’s goings-on this summer
It certainly came as a surprise when he left, but Onana clearly cherished his time at Everton and working under Lampard.
Onana enjoyed his final Goodison Park game as he is amongst many former players to have said their goodbyes.
Whether a return will come to fruition in the future is another question, but this window, the midfielder could be on the move once again due to Villa’s PSR concerns, as sales will need to be made.
Although there is no concrete interest, Onana’s sale shouldn’t be ruled out after an injury-ridden season, and Everton will be watching closely due to having a sell-on clause included in his contract.
🚨🟣🔵 Understand Aston Villa have booked medical tests for Amadou Onana on Sunday.
If all goes to plan, Onana will sign his contract as new Aston Villa player on Monday.
Everton receive £50m plus sell-on clause and add-ons, as reported last week.
Here we go, confirmed. ✅🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/9GsfFIZgNp
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 18, 2024
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As mentioned, it’s unlikely, but a future sale should be kept in mind anyway, as a player of his potential is surely destined for greatness, and Onana has Lampard to thank.