Everton fans now left to fear the worst as £55m Amadou Onana transfer exit news emerge
Chelsea have revived their interest in signing Amadou Onana with Everton demanding £55m to sell as the Belgian’s worrying exit from Goodison draws near.
The Belgian international joined Goodison Park in a big-money £33m move last summer and has swiftly become a star player and an instant hit amongst the Everton support despite the Toffees narrowly escaping relegation on the Premier League final day.
As a result of his swift emergence on the scene in the English top-flight and his showstopping performances in a rather disastrous Everton team, Onana has been attracting plenty of interest from the Premier League’s elite.
According to the Athletic [8 June], Sean Dyche will quickly want in a replacement if the 21-year-old does potentially leave, with the Toffees reportedly asking for around £60million fee to fund their own summer business [Daily Mail, 29 May].
The Daily Mail reported on 11 July that the Toffees are under pressure to sell the 21-year-old midfielder, who starred during the 2022/23 season, because of the club’s considerable financial constraints, which is further blighted by the considerable funding of their new Bramley-Moor Dock Stadium development and the FFP pressures Everton are embroiled under.
Everton are desperate to sell one of their key stars this summer, in order to loosen the purse belt at Goodison Park and according to one new transfer development, the Toffees may be moving closer to their wish being granted.
Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, taking to his personal Twitter account [14 June] revealed that Billionaire-owned club Chelsea have opened discussions for Onana’s services, with Everton wanting a fee of around £55m because of their financial issues. The 21-year-old is said to be open to a Goodison Park exit this summer.
Tavolieri tweeted: “Chelsea revives Amadou Onana’s track! The Blues have resumed discussions for the Diables Rouges & shown a strong interest again. Everton player opens to a departure from who – in urgent need of cash – wants to recover £55m in the deal.
“It’s still going to move.”
It was only going to be a matter of time before Onana’s performances attracted the attention of Europe’s elite, and it now seems that Everton will face a tough and frustrating fight to keep their star midfielder on their books at Goodison Park.
While the Everton bosses are desperate to sell, the Goodison Park faithful will be raging at the ease at which one of their star players is leaving, especially only after a year spent at the club, wowing them and getting them off their seats, in an otherwise dour campaign.
It’s easy to see why the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and now Manchester United have been linked with his services. Onana’s current ability, his unique qualities in midfield and his stark potential certainly make him an attractive and leading name in a market where several of Europe’s elite are on the hunt for young and exciting midfield prospects – Onana is definitely one of them.
The fact that Everton possessed such a promising commodity certainly enlightened the Everton crowd, but now they may be left fearing the worst as there are no guarantees they’ll be able to not only replace Onana’s quality but compete in a tough and competitive market.
More crucially, with Dyche desperately needing a major overhaul of the whole squad ahead of next season, the controversies off the field make such an ambition highly unlikely.
Certainly, Onana’s sale brings in a healthy windfall but the Everton fans would rather keep him and build around him for the future. That dream now looks considerably bleak and the Blues faithful may be forgiven for thinking just where their football club goes from here.
Onana’s exit will not only leave a gaping hole in Dyche’s midfield but also a massive one in the hearts of the Everton faithful.