Everton: Aston Villa situation could drive Arsenal towards Amadou Onana in transfer market
Amadou Onana will be “one to watch” for a possible Everton to Arsenal move given the difficulty the Gunners will have in signing their other targets, according to Charles Watts.
The former Football London journalist told Caught Offside on 13 March that he expects Mikel Arteta’s side to go after a midfielder at the end of the season and suggested Martin Zubimendi and Douglas Luiz may be higher on their list, but believes both the Real Sociedad man and the Aston Villa star will be tricky options.
So while there was apparently “nothing concrete” to January links between the Emirates and the Toffees man it could yet be on the cards in the coming months.
Watts said: “I do expect Arsenal to sign a midfielder this summer, but a lot will depend on what happens with the midfielders they currently have. Ideally they would like Jorginho to stay, and then they have to sort out Thomas Partey’s future.”
After naming Zubimendi as a prime option to replace the Ghanian he added: “There is also expected to be strong rival interest in the 25-year-old, so it might not be an easy deal to get done.
“Douglas Luiz is a player Arsenal have tracked for a couple of years now, but the price Aston Villa would demand for the Brazilian would make it a difficult one for Arsenal.
“Everton’s Amadou Onana could be one to watch out for. There were a lot of links with him in January. Again, I was told at the time that there was nothing concrete in that speculation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he is someone Arsenal look at when the season ends.”
Everton midfielder easier transfer option than Douglas Luiz?
In theory it shouldn’t actually be easy to sign any of the Toffees’ big name stars this summer either, but the club’s financial uncertainty perhaps makes it impossible to entirely rule the possibility out.
In light of the emergence of Jarrad Branthwaite as both a star man and a sought-after transfer target this term many Evertonians might swallow an Onana deal if it meant the defender stayed put.
The 22-year-old Belgian international hasn’t been at his best this season and Sean Dyche hasn’t always started him even when available, but it is hard to argue that many players have been on top form for some time now.
Onana has shown strong commitment to the fight at Goodison Park amid wide transfer links in previous windows so despite various clubs likely looking at him this summer a move is by no means certain.
However, unless there are major positive developments in with the takeover situation, and assuming Dyche keeps the club in the Premier League again, there will presumably be a need to sell to buy, so perhaps the former Lille man could end up being the one who is let go.
In other Everton news, Martin Samuel has blasted the possibility that some of the worst ever Premier Leagues could be saved by a Toffees relegation at the hands of a second points deduction.
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