Arsenal ahead of Man Utd in race to sign €35m midfielder

Cameron Smith

• 28 Dec 2023 06:51 GMT
• 3 min read

Amadou Onana is reportedly more likely to join Arsenal than Manchester United as Premier League clubs begin to register interest in the Everton midfielder.

Onana, 22, joined Sean Dyche’s side for €35 million from Lille last summer and he was one of the Toffees’ standout performers during his debut season at Goodison Park.

Chelsea were linked with a move for the Belgium international this summer, but they opted to sign Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu instead, with Onana staying at Everton.

However, transfer interest in the 22-year-old remains high and Arsenal and Man Utd are among the clubs keen on landing him next year.

FootballTransfers understand that Douglas Luiz remains Mikel Arteta’s preferred central midfield target, but Aston Villa’s asking price means a deal is complicated.

We have been told that Joao Palhinha and Pablo Maia are two alternatives to the Brazilian as Arsenal look to sign a potential replacement for Thomas Partey, who is wanted by Juventus.

According to GiveMeSport’s Dean Jones, however, Onana is also on the Gunners’ shortlist of midfield targets.

Will Amadou Onana join Arsenal or Man Utd?

Jones told GiveMeSport: “A few Everton fans probably wanted to drive Onana to another club when he missed that penalty against Fulham in such miserable fashion but at the moment, as a club, they want to keep hold of him.

“At the end of the season, I do think there will be some potential for a transfer but when we directly assess his chances of joining Man United or Arsenal in January, the likelihood is slim.

“Of the two I would say Arsenal would be more realistic though, given they are having a genuine look at this area of the field and have been drawing up reports on how he would fit into their set-up.

“But I have major reservations on how much Arsenal can invest and if the bulk of any transfer pot would be spent on the midfield.”

The north London side spent €116.6m on Declan Rice during the most recent transfer window, while Kai Havertz cost €75m and has been used in midfield since his arrival from Chelsea too.

It remains to be seen if Everton will allow Onana to leave the club, but the Belgian could perhaps depart the Merseyside outfit if a suitable bid is lodged.