Everton transfer news: Accelerating Barcelona negotiations leave door open for surprise in Amadou Onana pursuit
Barcelona will have to rule out signing Amadou Onana from Everton unless they can get a deal for their Barca Studios digital content operation over the line before the transfer window shuts, according to Sport.
The Spanish publication report via their website on 9 January that Xavi wants to sign a midfielder this month, and Deco has been looking into the Toffees star as an option, but the Catalan giants would find it impossible to do so in their current financial predicament.
However, ongoing negotiations over the sale of Barca Studios, previously described by Forbes in as the club’s “moonshot”, are said to be accelerating and while it is still thought to be difficult to get them concluded and approved by La Liga before the end of the month it leaves the door open for a “surprise” in the transfer market.
Barcelona have reportedly being talking to two investment funds since the summer and the situation has entered the final stretch, but the timings are expected to be very tight with regards to the transfer window and interest in Onana.
Unlikely
The Camp Nou side might be one of the few that have been as financially dysfunctional as Everton in recent seasons, although their “economic levers” [The Athletic] have allowed them to still recruit heavily.
Onana, 22, is one of two young stars in the squad at Goodison Park, along with defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who are attracting increasingly extensive big-money interest.
The Belgian midfielder is also wanted elsewhere in the Premier League with Arsenal and Manchester United both interested, so if the former Lille man were to leave it would perhaps be preferable if he went to La Liga instead of a league rival.
But whether Barca’s talks over selling their digital rights accelerate sufficiently to put them in position to make a high-profile signing in the January window or not Everton are surely going to do what they can to keep hold of their £60million-rated asset.
Sean Dyche certainly isn’t going to want to lose him midseason, and definitely not while Idrissa Gana Gueye is away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.
So it would perhaps only happen if the club were worried about profit and sustainability or the player forced a move, and while he is said to be open to making the step up it is hard to see him pushing to leave given his connection to the club.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are said to be close to agreeing a deal for a new signing at Goodison Park this month.