Arsenal have enquired about signing £50million-rated Everton midfielder Amadou Onana in a move which could derail Manchester United’s transfer plans.
Onana, 22, has been repeatedly linked with a switch to Arsenal, who are expected to be in the market a defensive midfielder amid suggestions Thomas Partey is set to leave the Emirates. The Belgium international has impressed at Goodison Park since signing from French side Lille in a club-record deal two years ago.
Should Arsenal follow up on their enquiry with a bid, the Liverpool ECHO report that Everton would demand at least £50m. That would provide the Toffees with a healthy sum of cash, particularly if the deal gets done before June 30, the deadline for Premier League clubs to stay within the guidelines of its Profit and Sustainability Rules.
That all-important date is part of why United believe they’d be able to sign Onana’s team-mate, Jarrad Branthwaite, for lower than Everton’s reported £80m valuation. On Friday, the Red Devils submitted an opening bid worth a total of £43m for the 21-year-old defender which has been dismissed as a lowball offer.
United’s hope is that Goodison Park chiefs will get desperate towards the end of the month and become open to a compromise. Mirror Football understands that Everton want Branthwaite to stay put this summer and only a ‘mega offer’ would change their stance.
If Onana were to sold, not only would it become more important for Sean Dyche’s side to keep Branthwaite from a footballing perspective, but the Belgian’s departure has the potential to give Everton the cash they need to sufficiently balance the books. However, Arsenal’s pursuit of Onana could be put on hold because of Euro 2024.
Belgium are eyeing a run deep into the knockout stages which notably begin on the final weekend of June. Last month, the 22-year-old revealed that his ambition is to play for ‘top club’ as he aims to ‘present’ himself during the tournament.
Speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, 6ft 3in Onana – whose agent claims rejected the chance to leave Everton during the January transfer window – explained: “At previous tournaments you have seen that the players who did well make the step up to the top clubs. “That’s something I strive for. I feel like presenting myself to the European top and showing what I have to offer. This European Championship is a stage.”
Should he sign for Arsenal, Onana would serve as a like-for-like replacement for Gunners star Partey, who’s been increasingly linked with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia. Partey, 31, finished the season partnering Declan Rice as the more defensive midfielder in a double pivot. Arsenal have already decided to let Mohamed Elneny leave on a free transfer when his contract expires, leaving Rice, Jorginho and Albert Sambi Lokonga – who spent last season out on loan at Luton – as the only deep-lying midfielders in Mikel Arteta’s squad.
