In the upcoming summer transfer window, one of the areas that Barcelona are most keen to reinforce is that of the midfield pivot. This was a clear weakness in the team last season, as Oriol Romeu was not able to perform at the level that the Catalans required from him.
As a result, the Catalan club has been keeping an eye on several candidates to reinforce this position, and one of the players that has been linked with them for some time now is the Everton midfielder, Amadou Onana.
Deco believes he is the perfect solution for Barcelona’s pivot problem; however, Everton’s asking price of more than €60 million proved abortive for such an operation.
However, SPORT reports that the Premier League side might be willing to sell the player for a lower price, especially as they need to sell several players before 30th June to comply with their league’s financial rules. Thus, if Barcelona takes the initiative to sign him, they might be able to do so this summer.
Everton were already penalized with an eight-point deduction this season for not being able to comply with the economic rules of the league and can face even worse consequences if they cannot make things right by the end of June.
Onana is one of their priorities for a sale to solve this problem, while the defender Branthwaite can also leave for Manchester United.
Previously, the Merseyside club was committed not to sell any of their stars below their market value. However, time is of the essence, and they have not received a lot of offers to their liking, and thus might have to compromise a bit on their players’ values.
The new Barcelona coach, Hansi Flick, also likes the Belgian midfielder, while the player himself will also be happy to play at the Catalan club. His physicality and power can be key to bringing more balance to the Barcelona midfield, and he can also significantly lessen the team’s defensive problems.
But the Blaugranes themselves are facing significant economic problems, and putting in an offer for Onana before 30th June will be very difficult for them. Deco has told the player’s agents that Barcelona would make an effort to sign him if the price is around €40 million.
Meanwhile, other European clubs are also keeping a close eye on his situation, including Bayern Munich, who have also made inquiries about him.
