Arsenal have been linked with a move for the Everton midfielder Amadou Onana.
The 22-year-old Belgian midfielder has done quite well since joining Everton for £33 million and the Toffees will demand a premium for him. According to Ben Jacobs from Give Me Sport, Everton could demand over £50 million for the defensive midfielder and the player has been linked with Manchester United and Arsenal.
It will be interesting to see if either club comes forward with a lucrative proposal to sign him in the coming months. A January move seems quite unlikely and Everton would not want to sell the player midway through the season either. They will want to preserve their status as a Premier League club next season as well and they are yet to secure safety from relegation. They will want to hold onto their best players until the summer transfer window.
Jacobs claims that Onana is open to a move to Arsenal in particular, but the transfer is yet to progress.
“Everton want to keep hold of Amadou Onana, and if they are to change that stance they would expect £50million or more. Let’s not forget that Everton paid Lille £33million.
“We have seen links with Manchester United and Arsenal, but nothing is advanced and both sides would be unable to proceed in January at that kind of price even if they wanted to.
“The idea that Everton will offer a cut-price deal, due to their financial situation, is inaccurate to my understanding. It might be different in the summer, but Onana is not a player Everton want – or plan – to lose mid-season.
“Onana is open to Arsenal in particular, but I am not aware of anything progressing at this stage.”
Arsenal need to bring a quality defensive midfielder who can replace Thomas Partey and Onana would be the ideal acquisition. He could form a quality partnership with Declan Rice at the heart of Mikel Arteta’s midfield.
The 22-year-old is quite young and he is likely to improve with coaching and experience. He could develop into a top class Premier League midfielder with the right guidance. The player is already well settled in English football and he could make an immediate impact at Arsenal next season.