Everton transfer news as ‘significant’ Arsenal update emerges in Amadou Onana pursuit
Arsenal remain interested in signing Everton midfielder Amadou Onana but must first sell players before making a “significant push”, according to Pieter-Jan Calcoen.
The Nieuwsblad Sport journalist shared the update via his personal Twitter page on Tuesday (23 January) and added that Arsenal are still in contract with Onana’s camp.
Should the Gunners wish to get a deal over the line for the Belgium international, they will have to offload players and submit a bid to Everton before the February 2 deadline.
Calcoen posted: “Although #AFC is still in contact with the Onana camp and #EFC it seems that the club will first have to sell players before it can make significant push.”
No chance
Arsenal may well be interested in signing Onana, as are other Premier League clubs supposedly, but they have no chance of landing him if this update is anything to go by.
Selling fringe squad players is easier said than done, and if the Gunners have been unable to do so in the first 23 days of the window, it is unlikely they will manage it over the remaining nine.
Arsenal have plenty of gems waiting to be poached – someone like Eddie Nketiah or Emile Smith Rowe, for example – but unless players move on, they will not be able to pounce for Onana.
Besides, if Everton were going to reluctantly sell the 22-year-old this month, they would need time to bring in a replacement of some sort.
What is important is that the Toffees stand their ground and do not sell for anything less than they think Onana is worth.
For all the club’s financial shortcomings, a big-money player sale is not required this month. At this stage, this deal therefore looks to be off the cards.
In other Everton news, a transfer ban has been mooted as the Toffees await to hear on the latest PSR punishment they face.
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