Amadou Onana has said goodbye to Everton fans as his move to Aston Villa was made official.
The Belgium midfielder joined the Toffees in August 2022 and the 22-year-old became a modern-day great at Goodison Park.
He made 63 Premier League appearances across his two seasons and played a vital role in the club avoiding relegation.
The official announcement came on Monday afternoon and it ended a summer packed with speculation around the midfielder's future.
Many clubs had enquired and were interested, such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle United.
Before Villa made their approach, no other side indicated they were prepared to meet Everton's valuation of the player.
Aston Villa is delighted to announce the signing of Amadou Onana from Everton. ✍️
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 22, 2024
Onana posted the following video on social media: "I just wanted to send you one last personal message because my time at Everton Football Club has come to an end.
"I just wanted to thank everyone for the last two years. What I mean by that is everyone, not just my teammates but the kit man, physios, chefs, groundkeepers, player care - everyone at the football club that just made sure I felt comfortable and at home from the get-go.
"I learned a lot about myself as a man but also as a player, I grew a lot. I met unbelievable people, teammates that I now call friends, the likes of Idrissa [Gueye], the likes of Doucs [Abdoulaye Doucoure] and so on. I just wanted to thank everyone for making me feel comfortable and at home in this football club. It has been amazing. Goodison nights, Goodison Park itself and, last but not least, I just wanted to thank the fans for the very warm welcome I received. Since the first day I came in, I really felt the love and I really appreciated it.
"I just wanted to wish everyone at this football club the very best for the future and for whatever comes next. Toffees, thank you."
It may not be as big of a loss as Evertonians think it is. The stats suggest they may be fine without him after all.
Since the 2022/23 season, Everton's win percentage was 33.3% in 24 Premier League matches without Onana, compared to 25% in 52 matches with him.
Everton's longest unbeaten run last season was four matches, all without Onana. During which they won 2-0 against Liverpool.
