Birmingham, Jul 23 (IANS): Aston Villa have signed 22-year-old midfielder Amadou Onana from Everton, the Premier League club said.

Onana becomes Villa's eighth signing in a busy summer transfer window, and the second within a week following the return of winger Jaden Philogene from Hull City.

The Cameroonian will join his new team-mates for Villa's pre-season tour of the United States, which starts with a match against Columbus Crew July 27.

"It feels amazing. I’m glad to be here, finally, and I can’t wait to get started," Onana was quoted by club's official website.

On his reasons for joining, he added: "It was a bit of everything. There’s a healthy atmosphere here to grow as a player and as a man. The team played very attractive football last season with loads of goals and will now be playing in the Champions League.

“I’ll be playing in the Champions League again and that’s very exciting. We also have a manager that’s one of the best in the business and I think he can take my game to the next level."

Onana took his first steps in professional football with Hamburger SV in Germany before spending a year at LOSC Lille in Ligue 1. He would then join Everton in the summer of 2022, going on to make over 70 appearances for the Toffees, scoring three times last term.

Having played against Villa a number of times during his stay on Merseyside, Onana now hopes to star in claret and blue.

"It’s a great stadium with a great atmosphere and the fans are amazing. I’ve played several times against the lads and I know how good they are. I’m ready to bring something to the team as well. I want to bring this football club to the top. They had a tremendous season last season. We’ve got to continue that vibe and try to compete at the top," said Onana.

On the international stage, he has been capped 17 times by his country.