Following Amadou Onana's ACL injury in Belgium's last 16 victory over America, Aston Villa have been forced into the transfer market for a midfield reinforcement.
It has instantly become Unai Emery's new priority and those in the Midlands have already set their sights on a number of key names, including Leeds United target Mandela Keita.
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Now that they're in the market for a midfielder, Aston Villa would be wise to turn their interest into an offer for Keita as soon as possible.
Aston Villa plotting Mandela Keita hijack
As reported by TeamTalk, Aston Villa are now plotting a move to sign Keita ahead of Leeds and Everton this summer. The Merseyside club have been particularly advanced, opening club-to-club talks over a deal with Parma, but could now be forced to watch on as Villa come swooping in.
mandela-keita-parma
The midfielder is reportedly valued at just £26m and that should entice Aston Villa even more. Whilst they've also got options like Lamine Camara on their shortlist, the Villans would be wise to push ahead for Keita this summer.
£26m Keita could replace Onana
When losing one Belgian, the best next step is sometimes to welcome another Belgian. That's exactly what Aston Villa would be doing by signing Keita after losing Onana to injury.
The Parma star would be a solid replacement for several other reasons too, and at a bargain price, Villa should make a deal happen ahead of rivals Everton.
25/26 P90 Keita Onana
Minutes 2,991 1,764
Tackles 2.23 2.45
Duel success 62.4% 63.9%
Recoveries 4.63 3.67
Goals (total) 1 2
The similarities between the two become clear when looking at last season's numbers. Like Onana, a lot of Keita's best work came out of possession. The Parma star even made more recoveries per game than his compatriot and those numbers could increase with a move to Aston Villa this summer.