Aston Villa have seen a major first-team star linked with an exit.placeholder image
Aston Villa have seen a major first-team star linked with an exit. | Getty Images
An Aston Villa exit claim has emerged ahead of summer 2026 - reports
Aston Villa have stepped up under Unai Emery this season and are closing in on a Champions League place with 12 matches remaining in the Premier League season.
The Villans currently have a five-point lead over fourth-placed Manchester United and an eight-bought buffer ahead of sixth, with five Champions League places expected to be handed to Premier League clubs this term. Emery’s side are out of the FA Cup, however, having been eliminated 3-1 by Newcastle United on Saturday evening in a match shrouded in controversy after multiple contentious refereeing decisions, most of which went in the favour of Villa despite their eventual defeat.
This summer transfer window will be an important one if the Villans look to cement their place as one of the heavyweights of the Premier League, while avoiding key exits will be mandatory – with a latest update emerging surrounding the future of one first-team star.
Amadou Onana could leave Villa as big-money exit touted
Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana is believed to be open to departing Villa Park and is ‘closing in on an exit’ according to reports by Football Insider. This comes after a recent interview where the 24-year-old spoke of wanting to transfer to a “world-class club”, indicating that he feels his long-term future lies away from the West Midlands.
Football Insider state that the Belgian midfielder is ‘edging closer’ to an exit this summer but it will take ‘big money’ for Villa to sell the midfielder, whom they signed for £50 million from Everton in 2024, with the Villans no doubt holding out for a profit on any sale.
Onana has been linked with top clubs such as Man United and Barcelona in the past, ultimately choosing to sign for Villa as his next step after the Toffees, but might be tempted if similar interest were to arise in the near future. The holding midfielder has made 58 appearances for Aston Villa, scoring seven goals in his time at the club.
‘It wouldn’t surprise me’ - former Villa scout speaks on Onana exit links
Former Villa scout Mick Brown told Football Insider: “It wouldn’t surprise me to see Onana leave Villa.
“On one hand, you can look at the fact he’s got these ambitions to play at the top level as a positive thing given what Villa are trying to achieve. But the fact he seemed to suggest he couldn’t achieve it with Villa and wants to go to a bigger club, I’m not convinced that will go down particularly well.
“He’s a player I’ve been very impressed with since he came to Villa, he’s surprised me. I can see where he’s coming from, in terms of I think he could make that big move happen, he’s good enough at his best to play for a top club. I’m not sure about whether he is at that level all the time, I’d have questions about his consistency which might put some of these clubs off of a move.
“The thing is, even if he wants to leave Villa and they say okay we’ll let you go, it has to be for the right price and it’s going to take a big fee to get him out. I don’t doubt the interest is there, and I don’t doubt he might want to make a step away from Villa, but whether it’s going to be possible is up to them.”
Continue Reading