Arsenal are closely following Everton midfielder Amadou Onana ahead of a potential approach this summer, according to Spanish publication Sport.
The Gunners have been linked with the Belgium international for some time, but they have yet to make a formal approach for his services.
Sport (page 8) claims the former Lille star has high ambitions. He could pursue a new challenge away from the Toffees after the European Championship.
Barcelona are among his admirers, but the club are not in a position to spend big this summer.
They are currently permitted to spend only 25 percent of any fee received. The Blaugrana are waiting for approval from La Liga to relax the restriction.
Arsenal are eyeing a move for Onana, who could be sold for £43 million with the Toffees needing funds to balance their books.
Onana would be a good replacement for Partey
The 22-year-old had a good season with Everton. He made 30 appearances in the top flight and excelled with his defensive attributes.
Onana won two-thirds of his duels with 2.4 tackles and 5.3 recoveries per game.
He completed 85 percent of his passes for the Toffees who are generally a low-possession side. The Belgian also had a long-ball accuracy of 71 percent.
Former Belgium manager Roberto Martinez described him as a ‘really exciting‘ player in 2022 and he has made significant progress since then.
Onana would be an ideal replacement for the injury-prone Thomas Partey, who could be sold. His contract expires in June 2025 and no contract talks are planned.
He has already proved his credentials as a defensive midfielder in the league and could also offer a major set-piece threat for the Gunners.
The midfielder scored two headed goals for the Toffees last term. He could improve on that tally with Arsenal who were the best scorers from corners and set-pieces last term.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com.
This article was written by .
