Barcelona ready to challenge Man Utd for €50m Everton star

Tom Weber

• Updated: 22 Dec 2023 11:44 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona have made Amadou Onana one of their top targets for 2024, according to a report.

The Blaugrana are still in the market for a defensive midfielder. It is a position that has been giving head coach Xavi headaches ever since the legendary Sergio Busquets linked up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the summer.

Though former Chelsea man Oriol Romeu was brought in from local rivals Girona as a stopgap solution, the veteran midfielder has underwhelmed and reports have been linking him with a return to LaLiga's surprise (joint-)leaders just six months after his departure.

Barcelona have been repeatedly linked with some of the world's most highly-rated defensive midfielders, but thus far, they have all proved too expensive. The cash-strapped Catalans have been forced to cool their interest in the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Martin Zubimendi, while links with Guido Rodriguez - who would be a free transfer for the summer - have gone cold.

This has forced the Blaugrana to look elsewhere and they have now identified a Premier League star as a top target for the upcoming year.

Barcelona want Onana

Links with Everton's Amadou Onana already appeared several weeks ago and Spanish media is now reporting that signing the defensive midfielder is a priority for 2024.

According to MARCA, initial talks regarding a move have already taken place, but official negotiations have not begun at this stage. Like Rodriguez, Onana would only be an option for the summer and he won't come cheap, with the Toffee's reportedly valuing him at at least €50 million.

Onana has impressed in the Premier League since arriving from Lille and this has made the Belgian a sought-after commodity. Man Utd were interested in the previous summer but didn't have the necessary resources to pursue a deal due to Financial Fair Play regulations and the uncertainty over the takeover. The Red Devils could be in for him again in light of Sofyan Amrabat's disappointing form.