Aston Villa have been forced to overhaul their summer transfer plans following the devastating injury suffered by Amadou Onana, with TEAMtalk understanding the club have already stepped up work on three impressive midfield targets.

The Belgium international ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during his country’s World Cup victory over the United States in one of the biggest injury blows of the summer and will likely be sidelined until 2027 as a long rehabilitation programme gets underway.

While further medical assessments are still being completed, sources have confirmed Villa now accept internally that Onana is unlikely to play any significant role during the upcoming Premier League campaign.

The injury has dramatically altered Unai Emery’s recruitment plans.

Before Onana’s setback, Villa were not actively pursuing another central midfielder, with Emery satisfied by the options already at his disposal in Onana, Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara.

However, we understand Villa have now accelerated plans to strengthen the middle of the park and have already identified several candidates.

Sources have confirmed Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, Villarreal’s Pape Gueye and Parma star Mandela Keita are three players the club have already completed extensive background work on.

TEAMtalk understands Villa are far from the only club monitoring the trio…

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Villa face strong Prem competition for midfield trio

Each player is attracting significant Premier League interest, meaning Villa know they may have to move quickly if they decide to turn their interest into formal offers.

All three are highly regarded within Villa’s recruitment department and have been under observation long before Onana’s injury.

Camara has developed into one of Ligue 1’s most exciting young midfielders since joining Monaco and continues to attract strong interest from across Europe. Newcastle and Liverpool are among his suitors, with his style seen as a perfect fit for Andoni Iraola’s high-tempo style at Anfield, while the Magpies see him as a possible heir for Bruno Guimaraes should the Brazilian leave.

Belgium international Keita has emerged as one of Serie A’s standout midfield performers following an impressive campaign with Parma. That has seen him attract interest from the likes of Everton and Leeds.

Everton are also huge admirers of former Marseille man Gueye – who has built a big reputation in LaLiga with Villarreal.

The extent of Onana’s absence has left Villa with little choice but to reassess their priorities, though, and we understand Emery has made it a priority now to bring in another option as his side look to cover their bases and ensure they have the quality to compete on multiple fronts.

While the club had expected midfield to be one of the quieter areas of the squad this summer, the Belgium international’s long-term injury has now pushed the position firmly towards the top of Emery’s recruitment agenda.