Everton transfer news: Arsenal want to sign Amadou Onana, loan-to-buy bid on the cards
Arsenal want to sign Everton star Amadou Onana but may have to get “creative” with their offer due to FFP, according to Nieuwsblad.
Writing on their website (8 January), the Belgian news outlet report that the Gunners are “pushing hard” to sign the midfielder but there are question marks about whether they can reach the Toffees’ asking price for a deal.
Everton want at least €60m (£51.5m), and it’s now suggested that Arsenal could make an offer of a loan with an obligation to buy to get a transfer done this month.
“Not a transfer window goes by without there being rumors about Amadou Onana,” they wrote. “Also now, FC Barcelona is mentioned.
“Manchester United are said to be interested. Chelsea is following the file closely. But the club pushing hard these days is Arsenal FC.
“The question is whether Arsenal can cough up such a large sum. In England, the Financial Fair Play rules have been a daily theme in the newspapers in recent months, and Arsenal’s possibilities also do not reach the sky.
“If the club wants to sign Onana, it may have to make a creative deal, English colleagues tell us, for example via a loan with a purchase obligation.”
No way
Financially obviously Everton are not in a good position right now, and there is no way that we will be able to deny big money bids if they come in.
But Arsenal aren’t known for flashing the cash like that and if their plan is to come with a loan with an obligation to buy, then they’re absolutely nuts.
If Everton are not going to be guaranteed any cash until the summer window then there is no point doing a deal now, leaving us short of one of our best players for the second half of the season when we’re in a relegation battle.
If a big offer comes in that would see the team able to reinvest the cash in new players to help make the squad stronger then there is an argument for it.
But a loan deal would just leave us worse off and the team is not in a position where that can be allowed to happen. Arsenal will have to try much harder than that if they want Onana.
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