Journalist Alex Crook of TalkSPORT claims that Everton may have to let go of midfielder Amadou Onana during the January transfer window. Onana has previously been linked to Chelsea and Arsenal.
Everton has been grappling with severe financial problems due to substantial losses over the years. In the current Premier League season, the Toffees were also penalized with a 10-point deduction for violating financial sustainability regulations.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Crook asserted that Everton might have to trade Onana in January due to their financial predicament. The reporter stated, “And the other player to keep an eye on with Arsenal is Amadou Onana at Everton, who we know Chelsea were looking at previously. And with Everton’s financial predicament, there is a possibility that he could be sold this month.”
Onana has been linked to Arsenal in the January transfer window. The 22-year-old midfielder is an ideal fit for the Gunners, who are seeking to recruit a defensive midfielder. In the summer, after failing to reach a deal with Brighton & Hove Albion for Moises Caicedo, Chelsea also looked to sign Onana.
In a 2022 interview with Sky Sports, former Everton and Belgium national team coach Roberto Martinez likened Arsenal great Patrick Vieira to Amadou Onana. Martinez asserted that the Belgian playmaker is capable of playing both box-to-box and defensive roles with his physical attributes.
Roberto Martinez said, “I’m sure Everton will use him in a more defensive role, or he can be used box-to-box where he really uses his physicality. Off the ball, he is one of the most impressive young players with his intensity, the way he can press, and then his arrival into the box.”
The former Belgian team head coach added, “Sometimes he reminds you of a young Patrick Vieira in the way he drives with the ball. I think it would be a shame if we speak only about his technical and tactical abilities. He is quite unique in the way he is as a character. He is a leader as a young man who is already influencing others in the dressing room.”
