Unai Emery believes Aston Villa's Amadou Onana can reach high level against Everton following summer transfer

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Amadou Onana has already equaled his best Premier League scoring record for Everton by scoring the opening goal in each of Aston Villa’s two wins so far. He has the opportunity to make it three against his former club at Villa Park on Saturday.

Onana’s £50 million summer transfer was an intriguing one. Sean Dyche referred to it as “a business decision” due to Everton’s financial situation. However, for Villa to break their transfer record for him, it suggested they saw more potential in him than he had demonstrated at Goodison Park.

Former Everton player Michael Ball summed up the sentiment among Everton fans when he described the move as an example of the “wrong team at the wrong time” – even going as far as saying Tim Iroegbunam, signed from Villa, has already shown more potential than Onana did.

However, there is also acknowledgment that Onana possesses significant natural ability, and the prospect of the 23-year-old midfielder finally putting all the pieces together is too enticing to ignore.

“We signed Amadou Onana because he is young and has huge potential,” Unai Emery tells Sky Sports. “We believe in his potential.” The Villa manager also believes in his ability to bring out more from a young player who is still developing.

It has been a major adjustment for Onana. During the international break, the Belgium international spoke about the long days, the extensive training sessions, and the tactical intricacies he has had to absorb, something for which Emery has long been known.

Interestingly, while Dyche was cautious about overloading Iroegbunam with information, Emery was at Villa’s training ground emphasizing the work needed to support Onana.