Everton transfer news: Barcelona president responds to Amadou Onana rumours

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed the Spanish giants are interested in Everton star Amadou Onana amid transfer rumours in recent weeks.

When asked whether he knew about Onana, the president laughed and confirmed he does, before admitting he is on a list with other players who have drawn the club's interest.

He did, however, share that this is not what the club are working on at the moment and there are several players they are looking at who can play that role.

Speaking in an interview with Mundo Deportivo [23 March, translated from Spanish], Laporta shared: "Yes, [I know him], from Everton. You're talking about very good players, this one we would like and there are others.

"It's not just this one, there are good players that can do that job, but at the moment that's not what Deco is working on and it's not my responsibility, it's not my area of action or activity.

"I have the responsibility of deciding yes or no, but we are guided by the knowledge and opinion of Deco. There are several players in that position."

Could Amadou Onana sign for Barcelona from Everton this summer?

The confirmed interest in signing Onana from Everton comes after rumours circled that the Spanish club could be put off by a £51.3million asking price, as they were only willing to pay £38.5million to secure the deal when the window opens.

However, Barcelona are not the only club to have registered their interest in the midfielder, with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal monitoring, while Newcastle scouts watched him during the 2-0 Premier League defeat at Old Trafford.

It looks fairly likely that Everton will have to sell some of their star players in the summer given the financial situation the club has found itself in. Onana, given his reputation and price tag, could be one of those players.

It could be smart for Everton to try to drive up the price using interest from both Arsenal and Chelsea’s interest to kickstart a bidding war with Barcelona and make the most of the opportunity to make a profit on the Belgian midfielder.

In other Everton news, the Premier League have granted 777 conditional approval for their takeover.

For more Everton news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.