Aston Villa have suffered a significant blow in the build up to next season, as Amadou Onana has reportedly suffered an ACL rupture, which will likely see him miss the next six-nine months of action.
News of this injury will be particularly difficult, with a season back in the UEFA Champions League on the horizon for Aston Villa.
The Villans, who finished fourth in the Premier League last season, did so without midfielder Boubacar Kamara for much of the campaign, with their French midfielder also suffering an ACL injury.
Onana, who has had a poor injury record since joining Aston Villa for £50m in 2024, suffered the injury in the first half of Belgium's 2026 World Cup round of 16 clash with host nation USA in the early hours of Tuesday morning BST.
Reports from various outlets have confirmed that it is an ACL rupture suffered by the Belgian, with a time frame of six-nine months usually needed to recover from such an injury.
With a difficult summer already set to be ahead for the Villans, as financial restrictions continue to hamper their progress, attention will now have to turn to the midfielder market, as they look to cover for Onana's injury.
Under FIFA's rules, Aston Villa will be compensated Onana's full salary - up to a maximum of £6.6m - meaning that the Villans could bring in a loan or free transfer, without impacting their plans elsewhere too much.
With all that in mind, let's take a look at three players that Aston Villa could sign to fill the void left by the 24 year-old.
Yves Bissouma
The most straight-forward potential injury cover for Aston Villa could be a move for free agent Yves Bissouma.
Bissouma, 29, departed Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last season, following the expiry of his contract, having also had a stint with Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.
His Premier League experience and proven quality could be exactly what is needed to fill the gap left by Onana, whilst his wages at Spurs were only a reported £55k per week.
While at 29, Bissouma may be looking for a more long-term solution, Aston Villa could afford to almost double that wage for a season and, with Ross Barkley set to depart at the end of next season, the Mali international could find room in the West Midlands for years to come.
Dion Lopy
A player that Aston Villa have been heavily linked to already, Almería midfielder Dion Lopy is reportedly available for around €17m this summer.
Having missed out on promotion back to the Spanish top flight last campaign, Almería are said to be accepting that their senegalese midfielder will likely depart, with the fee touted more reasonable than most in this current window.
Lopy's wages would be extremely low, meaning that some of the compensation for Onana's wage could go into the transfer fee, allowing the Villans to pick up a long term target in the process.
Franck Kessie
Another free agent, but a much more unrealistic option, Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessie would be a smart signing for the Villans.
Having departed Saudi Arabia this summer, Kessie's wages are likely to be on the higher end, however Emery's side will have Onana's reported £140,000 wages to throw on a replacement - assuming there's no fee involved.
This could make Aston Villa a tempting proposition for Kessie, especially considering that a season in the UEFA Champions League is also on offer.
Kessie is no short of interest, with clubs in Turkiye reportedly interested in securing his services after a strong showing at the World Cup, meaning the Villans would have to work fast to get this deal done.
