Everton transfer news: Manchester United verdict on Amadou Onana transfer emerges with midfield ‘next priority’
Manchester United have decided that Everton midfielder Amadou Onana is “too expensive” to sign despite being “keen” on him, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper reported via their website on Wednesday (9 August) that a midfielder is the “next priority” at Old Trafford before the window shuts but Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat has been made the “top target” as they have been priced out of a move for the Toffees’ Belgian international.
Moroccan Ambrabat, 26, is reportedly available for a “cut-price” £30million, while Onana has previously been mooted to cost as much as double that amount.
Onana is the third Everton player linked to a Manchester United move amid reported interest in Jordan Pickford and Jarrad Branthwaite, but Erik ten Hag appears unlikely to be signing any of them now.
Almost there
Heading into the summer window with a transfer budget that is widely reported to be tight there were obvious fears that star men could move on this summer, with Pickford and Onana the prime candidates.
The England keeper has ruled himself out of the equation and the likely landing spots have already been filled, and with less than four weeks of the window left Everton are close to getting through the summer unscathed on Onana.
A wild midfield market has seen the likes of Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice move for huge money, with Moises Caicedo possibly still to do the same.
With fees of over £100m being spent it wouldn’t be impossible for big-spending clubs to see Onana as a strong option for a lot less money, but it appears United are off the list.
Sean Dyche has been working on spending the money he does have on forwards in recent weeks and has Youssef Chermiti on the way in, and wants more before deadline day.
Logic sometimes does out of the window in the final hours so Everton will need to be braced to head off late bids for Onana, but so far he appears set to remain for the new season.
In other Everton news, transfer developments have given a signal on a potential nine-figure legal concern at Goodison Park.