Club chief works on Amadou Onana transfer from Everton after manager announces exit
Deco has decided to push ahead with his plan to sign Amadou Onana from Everton now that Xavi set to be out of the way, according to Sport.
The Spanish outlet reported via their website on 9 February that the Barcelona sporting director and the outgoing manager have had a differences of opinion on signings in the past, but after the Catalan announced he would be leaving in the summer in the wake of their 5-3 loss to Villarreal [Guardian, 27 January] it has cleared the Portuguese to target a physical target in the form of the Toffees star.
Former Barca and Chelsea midfielder Deco has now already started contacting the relevant parties ahead of an attempted deal in the summer.
The 22-year-old was heavily linked to a Premier League move during the January transfer window, with the likes of Newcastle and Arsenal interested, but has remained at Goodison Park once more.
Everton star Onana wanted at Camp Nou after Xavi exit
It has become customary for the Belgian international to be regularly considered for a move, and has been the case since soon after he arrived from Lille for £33.5million two summers ago [Sky Sports].
The financial situation around Everton routinely keeps the threat of a big-money sale being something the club can’t refuse on the table, but it has now been navigated successfully in consecutive windows.
Whether that will be possible once more in the summer is bound to be tested either way, but the unresolved takeover situation and the pending appeal verdict on the points deduction will play a big role.
Onana has been out injured and his absence felt by Sean Dyche but he appears to be nearing a return.
Without the sizeable presence in the midfield that Deco has identified as what Barcelona need there is a big gap left in the Everton line up.
But it looks like suitors are starting to gear up for another run at him in the next transfer window early, with the previous one only having closed a week ago.
In other Everton news, the Toffees lost out on part of an agreed fee after last-gasp developments in the transfer window.
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