Aston Villa have identified three names as defensive midfielders following the shocking departure recently.
Aston Villa’s transfer business seems to be moving quickly. In the past few days, the Lions are set to lose two of their key men, Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans. They are also close to signing Switzerland international Johan Manzambi for £49 million.
However, Digne and Tielemans’ sudden decisions have stunned the fans, as they would force the club to find suitable replacements soon, which will not be easy. Both were part of Villa’s successful team that qualified for the Champions League twice and won the Europa League over the past three seasons.
The need to sign more holding midfielders is even greater at the moment, as defensive midfielder Amadou Onana suffered an ACL rupture during the World Cup. The Belgian is likely to miss around nine months.
According to reports from TeamTalk via GiveMeSport, Villa appear to have not just one but three names on their shortlist.
“They (Aston Villa) have three key targets on their shortlist as things stand. Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, Villarreal’s Pape Gueye and Parma’s Mandela Keita are said to be the main men in the hunt to replace Onana – for now – at Villa Park.”
The 22-year-old Senegal international is one of the shortlisted players. He has been in fine form with Monaco since joining them, scoring five goals and providing 11 assists in 71 appearances.
The former Metz man was also included in Senegal’s World Cup squad. He featured in four games and provided one assist during the tournament.
Camara can be deployed as a defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, or central midfielder. He is strong defensively and comfortable on the ball when initiating build-up play. He also occasionally shoots from long range to threaten the opposition.
The midfielder, who has 37 international caps, is under contract with the Ligue 1 outfit until 2029. His price tag could be around £43 million.
Gueye is Camara’s teammate in the Senegal national team. The midfielder is versatile and can operate deep as a number six, but he can also play as a number eight, a number 10, or even out wide when necessary.
The Villarreal man has been influential for his team. Since joining the Yellow Submarine in 2024, he has scored 10 goals and provided two assists in 75 games.
The former Marseille man was also part of this year’s World Cup squad. He featured in four games, scoring a brace and providing one assist when Senegal hammered Iraq 5-0. Gueye managed to do so in fewer than 40 minutes. The midfielder, who has 45 international caps, also scored the winning goal in the 2025 AFCON final as Senegal defeated Morocco.
Gueye is still under contract until 2028. However, there is reportedly a release clause of around £38.4 million for any interested club.
The 24-year-old defensive midfielder is another target on Villa’s shortlist since earlier this year. He has been a key figure for Parma since joining the club in 2024. Keita has made 70 appearances, contributing one goal and three assists in all competitions.
The former Antwerp man has earned only one senior international cap. He did not make Belgium’s World Cup squad this year. Nevertheless, his performances last season attracted interest from several European clubs, including the Clarets and Blue.
His contract expires in 2029. Keita could be available for around £25-30 million.
As the summer transfer window becomes busier following the end of the World Cup, Unai Emery’s side need to make a concrete move immediately before they are overtaken in the race or hijacked by other clubs. It will be interesting to see which player Villa decide to pursue and eventually sign, considering their current financial circumstances.
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