The decision to replace Sergio Busquets with Oriol Romeu has not turned out particularly well for FC Barcelona. The Catalans, after contemplating on several market options, decided to bring back the La Masia graduate from Girona to be their midfield pivot, but after a good start to the season, he has gone to obscurity at Barcelona.
As a result, the Catalans might have to return to the market to get another midfield pivot in the next summer transfer window, and Deco’s team is already monitoring several players in this regard.
One such player who has been linked with Barcelona to strengthen their midfield is the Belgian Amadou Onana. The midfielder joined the Premier League side Everton in the summer of 2022 and has now become an important part of his club’s squad in his second year in England.
His performances at the Merseyside club have attracted the attention of other Premier League giants like Manchester United and Chelsea, while Barcelona have also been looking at the midfielder with particular interest.
However, Mundo Deportivo reports that in addition to these two sides, Barcelona are also going to face tough competition from Arsenal, who are now also interested in the midfielder.
The report mentions that the Arsenal head coach, Mikel Arteta, has Onana on his list of possible reinforcements, and Arsenal have already launched the operation to sign the midfielder. Everton are expected to demand between €70 and €90 million for the midfielder.
The midfielder may ultimately not move for such a high transfer fee, but the arrival of Arsenal in the race for Onana will definitely increase the price that Barcelona might have to pay for him.
The financial conditions of the Catalans might make it impossible for the Catalans to compete with these sides for the midfielder, and it looks like Barcelona will have to turn their attention to other candidates to enhance their midfield next summer.
