'If you compare' - Amadou Onana makes Everton exit admission and manager claim after transfer

Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana believes he has improved so much since making his £50million transfer to the West Midlands this summer, he is a “completely different player” to when he was at Everton.

Goodison Park chiefs always felt that Onana, who they bought from Lille for £33.5million in August 2022, had plenty of potential development and back in 2023 when Manchester United were linked with his signature, the ECHO understood that Everton chiefs believed that over time, he could become as good as – or even better – than Moises Caicedo, who had just joined Chelsea for a British record £115million fee, while also valuing him higher than fellow Belgium international Romeo Lavia who also moved to Stamford Bridge from Southampton that window for £58million.

However, with director of football Kevin Thelwell making it clear this summer that a sustainable football model had to be built on astute trading, in and out of the club, the departure of Onana, who did not start any of the three victories Everton secured in a week in late April to secure Premier League survival, was deemed the most palatable high-profile exit. His departure, for a fee lower than the Blues would have demanded 12 months earlier, also ensured the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were able to remain for the club’s historic final season at Goodison Park.

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The 23-year-old took just five games with Aston Villa to equal his three-goal total from 37 matches with Everton last season and he has credited manager Unai Emery for his rapid development. Birmingham Live quote Onana as saying: “Unai has added a lot to my game.

“I think I am a completely different player if you compare it to last season at Everton. He has added bits to my game which I didn’t have before.

“I am really, really grateful and thankful for that. My start has been good, but it could have been better.

“I can still improve on different aspects and parts of my game. I am learning day by day.

“The manager is one of the best in the business. I am looking forward to continue working with him on a daily basis.”

Asked what aspects of play he thinks he can improve on, Onana said: “I think more and more on the ball, with my physicality everyone knows I play with a lot of duels and intensity but on the ball I can definitely improve.”