If we get 3 good years out of him, he stays fit, helps us to qualify every year for Champions League and somehow a club in Saudi wants to sign him for 75m then so be it. He’s proven to be a good egg in the dressing room thus far. If he eventually turns out to be a bit of a mercenary looking for a 250k+ per week contract then I’ll say thank you and goodbye
Lionels_Vinyl on
Take it with a pinch of salt
Hot_Discipline_708 on
Better use him well then, he’s gonna be in demand especially if we finish top 3 and maybe get a Europa league
Leroydestroy on
My opinion is:
If he becomes good enough and plays consistently at a level that Real Madrid (etc) want to buy him…
…he’s done his job, played or exceeded his contract with us and deserves that opportunity.
It would mean we have earned the giant fee that the move should likely command also – by providing him with opportunities to show his talent and become a premier player at his position.
If I got asked if I was interested in playing for “One of the top five clubs in the world” I’d probably answer the same way to be honest.
An absolute nothing burger that’s being pushed for clicks
Popular-Application4 on
Can’t begrudge a player with no prior connection to us in the slightest wanting to play for a top top club. He puts in the effort every week and that’s more than enough for me
Hungry-Afternoon7987 on
I mean I don’t think there is anything wrong with what he is saying, he has personal ambition. No matter what we think, no player is going to turn down playing for Real Madrid etc.
8shadesofpoke on
More power to him.
We want ambitious players who are striving to be the best – will see a few leave to bigger clubs with more chances of silverware and money but that only happens if they perform well for us and hopefully we can make some good profits along the way.
If he ran down his contract and left for free, then I’d be annoyed.
bizzyd666 on
Not much. We aren’t one of the top clubs (yet) and he isn’t a boyhood Villa fan. If Madrid, Barca or Bayern come in for anyone, they would obviously consider the move.
That said, if we can continue to match his aspirations, who knows what happens. And, if he carries on playing like he is, we’ll make a healthy profit.
HauLife on
Possible that I’m in the minority here but I do feel like it is sort of disrespectful – I mean, bar the last 5-10 games his Villa career so far has been 70% on the injury table and 30% average performances as a rotation piece. Hardly meeting the expectation placed on his extortionate transfer fee. If he keeps up his current level of performance then it is what it is, but seems a bit soon to be making this type of comment when the only reason he’s even a guranteed starter at the moment is because the better player in Kamara is injured.
fuckboybylan on
When our squad is fully fit, Onana barely gets 1 start per month here with us. How much time will he see on the pitch if he goes to Barca or Madrid…?
Mr64573 on
If he gives us a good few years and the odd trophy lift, then im happy.
Cant let ego run the business decisions or personal aspirations.
Just not to city please haha
Ancient_Tune_1819 on
Damn I want onana to stay in this club for as long as possible. One of my fav players
hovis_mavis on
It’s fine, if Onana is wanted by one of the huge clubs then they’ll have to pay through the nose for him. We have to understand that’s how we sustain ourselves. Same with Rogers and Kamara, the Summer is likely to see serious interest in both, if the fees are insane they’ll probably be gone.
avfc1001 on
This is the aim of every player in world football. Some of them are brash enough to say it, others aren’t.
Actually achieving that aim means having to prove high quality and fitness over an extended period.
If they can do that and achieve their dream move, then we will do very well out of it. We are not top of the food chain and won’t be any time soon. It’s about selling at peak value and then investing well in replacements, so we can keep slowly levelling up.
So go on then Amadou, prove you’re good enough for Real Madrid and help us win a trophy in the process.
thinnerbubbles0 on
Honestly don’t care. Do your job while you’re here. Help us qualify for champions league and win us some silverware. He’s been amazing for us when fit and he has to keep preforming at a high level!
Technobliterator on
Said it in the transfer thread but we should do everything to keep hold of him as he is one of our highest potential players and could easily become one of our most important and impactful, to the point of building the team around him. As such, we should resist offers and counter with pay rises. Cash in for an enormous fee if that doesn’t work of course, but we should aim to keep him long term.
KathKR on
I think his agent is probably fuming. We all know the dance. “Oh, hi Bayern! You’re interested in my client? Well, I must say he’s very settled and happy where he is and isn’t looking for a move, but maybe if the compensation were substantial we could talk.”
Everyone knows it’s BS, but it’s the game they play to extract maximum value and everyone just agrees to go along with it. Onana has just torpedoed that.
I don’t begrudge the guy for considering the future, having ambition, and thinking about what he could accomplish. All of us get it. We know very few players are here for life. We know that Barca, Real, Bayern, PSG, etc. are too big to turn down. You can argue he shouldn’t have said the quiet part out loud, but at the same time, you could commend him for his honesty.
Admittedly, I dislike the timing of the comments, given those big clubs have a tendency to splurge at random towards the end of a winter transfer window, and we do have a bit of an injury problem at the moment – but he wasn’t being malicious. He was just being honest. So whatever.
Deep-Sleep7987 on
He’s ambitious, that’s ok. I think he still has some way to go before getting a move to an “elite” club, when perhaps Rogers and Kamara are already at that level
OopsWrongAirport on
Does an ambitious club like Villa want players who DONT aspire to play in a super club?
The best motivation is future career prospects
Loyalty is important but you’re going to need some players with this attitude to get to the top, too
ThunderousIrishMusic on
“Player has aspirations to play for one of the top 5 clubs in world football ” shocker 🤣
Listen_Boss on
Nothing wrong with that. Good lad, tries hard every day. Unlucky with injuries. If he puts a great season together and leaves for £80million so be it.
Every club in the world apart from Barcelona and Real Madrid have this problem and I love honesty and personality from footballers rather than media trained dull responses. Much better than a Delph or Grealish lie!
shellakabookie on
Good man Onana,now go stay fit until the end of the season to prove your that player and get clubs to pay more for you then we paid…go on I dare ye
duly-goated303 on
Well ye better start believing you’ll sign to a big club, mr onana… you’re in one
phillyd_ on
Already mentioned but that quote is taken out of context.
If Onana stays fit the rest of the season we will win something, not sure what but we will win something.. probably the treble lol
Rough_Custard1 on
Just a distraction.
MichaelBealesBurner on
Nothing burger, no one from outside of England who wants to be a top footballer dreams of playing for Villa.
mr_herculespvp on
Ask yourselves *why* he said this. It won’t have just come out of the blue, unprompted.
As always, posting something like this is disingenuous or clumsy (in OP’s case) without providing *CONTEXT*.
Pretty standard for the times, I’m afraid.
AllyStar17 on
He’s just being honest – we need to move beyond this blind loyalty expected of players.
Hes a good egg in the changing room and puts a good shift in.
If he ever wants a move someone where else in the future then id wish him the best
TheCannings on
Journo’s be journo’ing
OverlordOfTheBeans on
I really don’t care. He spoke about wanting a “top five” club. So a Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, Liverpool, etc.
I don’t care who you are, you’d give serious thought to going to any of them, let alone a Belgian bloke playing for Villa. It’s not like he said he wants to go to Saudi and earn £12million per week. But even that, again, you’d give it serious thought. Football is a short career.
magachristicelover on
why would he feel a personal connection with a club he wasnt a part of barely two years ago? if academy graduates say this i can understand the sentiment but these are professional players. they go for the bag and accolades. if he deems villa is hindering him, he will and should leave. this isnt a loyalty issue. its like asking some haas driver if he would like to drive for ferrari some day and expect the haas driver to say nah.
ForgeUK on
It’s unreasonable to criticise someone’s ambition and honesty.
We tie our affection to the club and players, but at the end of the day being a footballer is just akin to a well paid job. No difference to Bob wanting to leave company A to join the more prestigious Company B for more money.
Loyalty to an employer is a schmucks game.
BuzerantSpettacolare on
How old is that quote?
TH_Rz on
I’m assuming it was translated but it doesn’t read well. Quite disrespectful
ArasFlow on
Gotta know when to sell. Hopefully not for another few seasons but priority number 1 is keeping Unai for as long as possible.
Prize-Database-6334 on
Nothing wrong with it whatsoever. The guy has big ambitions, fair play to him.
39 Comments
If we get 3 good years out of him, he stays fit, helps us to qualify every year for Champions League and somehow a club in Saudi wants to sign him for 75m then so be it. He’s proven to be a good egg in the dressing room thus far. If he eventually turns out to be a bit of a mercenary looking for a 250k+ per week contract then I’ll say thank you and goodbye
Take it with a pinch of salt
Better use him well then, he’s gonna be in demand especially if we finish top 3 and maybe get a Europa league
My opinion is:
If he becomes good enough and plays consistently at a level that Real Madrid (etc) want to buy him…
…he’s done his job, played or exceeded his contract with us and deserves that opportunity.
It would mean we have earned the giant fee that the move should likely command also – by providing him with opportunities to show his talent and become a premier player at his position.
Context: [https://www.reddit.com/r/avfc/comments/1pqwtky/comment/o2l2hgz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/avfc/comments/1pqwtky/comment/o2l2hgz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
If I got asked if I was interested in playing for “One of the top five clubs in the world” I’d probably answer the same way to be honest.
An absolute nothing burger that’s being pushed for clicks
Can’t begrudge a player with no prior connection to us in the slightest wanting to play for a top top club. He puts in the effort every week and that’s more than enough for me
I mean I don’t think there is anything wrong with what he is saying, he has personal ambition. No matter what we think, no player is going to turn down playing for Real Madrid etc.
More power to him.
We want ambitious players who are striving to be the best – will see a few leave to bigger clubs with more chances of silverware and money but that only happens if they perform well for us and hopefully we can make some good profits along the way.
If he ran down his contract and left for free, then I’d be annoyed.
Not much. We aren’t one of the top clubs (yet) and he isn’t a boyhood Villa fan. If Madrid, Barca or Bayern come in for anyone, they would obviously consider the move.
That said, if we can continue to match his aspirations, who knows what happens. And, if he carries on playing like he is, we’ll make a healthy profit.
Possible that I’m in the minority here but I do feel like it is sort of disrespectful – I mean, bar the last 5-10 games his Villa career so far has been 70% on the injury table and 30% average performances as a rotation piece. Hardly meeting the expectation placed on his extortionate transfer fee. If he keeps up his current level of performance then it is what it is, but seems a bit soon to be making this type of comment when the only reason he’s even a guranteed starter at the moment is because the better player in Kamara is injured.
When our squad is fully fit, Onana barely gets 1 start per month here with us. How much time will he see on the pitch if he goes to Barca or Madrid…?
If he gives us a good few years and the odd trophy lift, then im happy.
Cant let ego run the business decisions or personal aspirations.
Just not to city please haha
Damn I want onana to stay in this club for as long as possible. One of my fav players
It’s fine, if Onana is wanted by one of the huge clubs then they’ll have to pay through the nose for him. We have to understand that’s how we sustain ourselves. Same with Rogers and Kamara, the Summer is likely to see serious interest in both, if the fees are insane they’ll probably be gone.
This is the aim of every player in world football. Some of them are brash enough to say it, others aren’t.
Actually achieving that aim means having to prove high quality and fitness over an extended period.
If they can do that and achieve their dream move, then we will do very well out of it. We are not top of the food chain and won’t be any time soon. It’s about selling at peak value and then investing well in replacements, so we can keep slowly levelling up.
So go on then Amadou, prove you’re good enough for Real Madrid and help us win a trophy in the process.
Honestly don’t care. Do your job while you’re here. Help us qualify for champions league and win us some silverware. He’s been amazing for us when fit and he has to keep preforming at a high level!
Said it in the transfer thread but we should do everything to keep hold of him as he is one of our highest potential players and could easily become one of our most important and impactful, to the point of building the team around him. As such, we should resist offers and counter with pay rises. Cash in for an enormous fee if that doesn’t work of course, but we should aim to keep him long term.
I think his agent is probably fuming. We all know the dance. “Oh, hi Bayern! You’re interested in my client? Well, I must say he’s very settled and happy where he is and isn’t looking for a move, but maybe if the compensation were substantial we could talk.”
Everyone knows it’s BS, but it’s the game they play to extract maximum value and everyone just agrees to go along with it. Onana has just torpedoed that.
I don’t begrudge the guy for considering the future, having ambition, and thinking about what he could accomplish. All of us get it. We know very few players are here for life. We know that Barca, Real, Bayern, PSG, etc. are too big to turn down. You can argue he shouldn’t have said the quiet part out loud, but at the same time, you could commend him for his honesty.
Admittedly, I dislike the timing of the comments, given those big clubs have a tendency to splurge at random towards the end of a winter transfer window, and we do have a bit of an injury problem at the moment – but he wasn’t being malicious. He was just being honest. So whatever.
He’s ambitious, that’s ok. I think he still has some way to go before getting a move to an “elite” club, when perhaps Rogers and Kamara are already at that level
Does an ambitious club like Villa want players who DONT aspire to play in a super club?
The best motivation is future career prospects
Loyalty is important but you’re going to need some players with this attitude to get to the top, too
“Player has aspirations to play for one of the top 5 clubs in world football ” shocker 🤣
Nothing wrong with that. Good lad, tries hard every day. Unlucky with injuries. If he puts a great season together and leaves for £80million so be it.
Every club in the world apart from Barcelona and Real Madrid have this problem and I love honesty and personality from footballers rather than media trained dull responses. Much better than a Delph or Grealish lie!
Good man Onana,now go stay fit until the end of the season to prove your that player and get clubs to pay more for you then we paid…go on I dare ye
Well ye better start believing you’ll sign to a big club, mr onana… you’re in one
Already mentioned but that quote is taken out of context.
If Onana stays fit the rest of the season we will win something, not sure what but we will win something.. probably the treble lol
Just a distraction.
Nothing burger, no one from outside of England who wants to be a top footballer dreams of playing for Villa.
Ask yourselves *why* he said this. It won’t have just come out of the blue, unprompted.
As always, posting something like this is disingenuous or clumsy (in OP’s case) without providing *CONTEXT*.
Pretty standard for the times, I’m afraid.
He’s just being honest – we need to move beyond this blind loyalty expected of players.
Hes a good egg in the changing room and puts a good shift in.
If he ever wants a move someone where else in the future then id wish him the best
Journo’s be journo’ing
I really don’t care. He spoke about wanting a “top five” club. So a Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, Liverpool, etc.
I don’t care who you are, you’d give serious thought to going to any of them, let alone a Belgian bloke playing for Villa. It’s not like he said he wants to go to Saudi and earn £12million per week. But even that, again, you’d give it serious thought. Football is a short career.
why would he feel a personal connection with a club he wasnt a part of barely two years ago? if academy graduates say this i can understand the sentiment but these are professional players. they go for the bag and accolades. if he deems villa is hindering him, he will and should leave. this isnt a loyalty issue. its like asking some haas driver if he would like to drive for ferrari some day and expect the haas driver to say nah.
It’s unreasonable to criticise someone’s ambition and honesty.
We tie our affection to the club and players, but at the end of the day being a footballer is just akin to a well paid job. No difference to Bob wanting to leave company A to join the more prestigious Company B for more money.
Loyalty to an employer is a schmucks game.
How old is that quote?
I’m assuming it was translated but it doesn’t read well. Quite disrespectful
Gotta know when to sell. Hopefully not for another few seasons but priority number 1 is keeping Unai for as long as possible.
Nothing wrong with it whatsoever. The guy has big ambitions, fair play to him.
Fuck him