How 'magnificent' Onana could emulate Rice and Caicedo in €100m transfer

Suraj Radia

21 Oct 2023 15:27 BST
4 min read

Everton have not had much to enjoy recently but a rare shining beacon of light in the darkness has been Amadou Onana, however the youngster’s days at Goodison Park could be coming to an end as a host of Europe’s top sides continue to admire his performances.

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Onana put in another impressive display in the Merseyside derby and was described by TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand as ‘absolutely magnificent’ as Everton suffered a 2-0 loss to Liverpool.

Everton’s issues with ownership combined with another relegation battle has led some fans to concede that Onana’s days at the club are numbered, with the Belgian only having joined from Lille last summer for €35 million.

PROFILE: Everything you need to know about Amadou Onana

The tough-tackling midfielder has been an ever-present in Sean Dyche’s team this season and already attracted attention from the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, however he has remained loyal to Everton, even declaring on camera that he ‘ain’t f***ing going nowhere’ earlier in the year.

But the reality for Everton is that he will likely leave next year for the right price, with the Toffees sensing the potential to relieve their financial issues by demanding a fee similar to the €100m-plus transfers of Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice this summer.

With Onana continuing to prove himself at the highest level as a physical yet technical titan in the middle of the park, the 22-year-old could be the next player to command a transfer saga as he looks to take the next step in his flourishing career.

Onana set to benefit from patience with Everton

Onana stated that, having moved clubs every year since becoming a professional in 2019, he wanted to spend more time at one club and continue to develop with Everton, leading to teams not pushing too hard to sign him this summer.

love it, Ama! 🫶 pic.twitter.com/8MZJm6NaOv
— Everton (@Everton) February 4, 2023

While Everton would be thrilled to near-3x their investment in Onana with a €100m deal, privately the club are believed to be content at receiving closer to €70m, with the Toffees said to value their talisman higher than Chelsea’s €62m signing of Romeo Lavia in the summer.

RANKING: The most expensive Premier League transfers of all time

However, a lot could come down to the European Championships next summer, of which Onana is expected to feature heavily for Belgium, as well as Everton’s Premier League status.

Although Chelsea and Arsenal have since signed midfielders in a similar mould to Onana, teams such as Man Utd and Newcastle have held a long-standing interest in the wonderkid and could be frontrunners to sign him next summer and make a big money move for the Premier League’s latest sensation.