FC Barcelona are looking to reinforce their squad ahead of the next season, and one of the priorities for Deco is to bring in a midfield pivot.
This has been one of the clearest weaknesses in the Catalan club’s squad this season, and Xavi has been using Andreas Christensen for this role for some weeks. However, it is clear that the Dane is not a natural midfielder, and Oriol Romeu has not been able to perform at the required level either.
Thus, to solve this problem for the next season, Barcelona have been monitoring several candidates, and one of the favorites for this position is the Everton player, Amadou Onana.
However, the €60 million asking price for the player is a bit too much for the Catalans, who are looking at other options to make him more affordable.
According to SPORT, one such option being considered by the club is to include one of their own players in the negotiations for Onana, and there are four names that can interest the Premier League side, i.e., Clement Lenglet, Sergino Dest, Ansu Fati, and Fermin Lopez.
Everton have important offers for one of their center-backs, Jarrad Branthwaite, and if he ends up leaving the Merseyside club, the Toffees would be open to integrating Clement Lenglet into their squad. However, it remains to be seen whether the Frenchman himself would want to join Everton.
Sergino Dest has been playing at a good level during his loan at PSV Eindhoven, and his performances are generating the interest of many clubs across Europe.
Ansu Fati has had a mixed season at Brighton and Hove Albion, but as he has not been impressive enough to warrant an important role at Barcelona, he will also have to look for another loan destination, and Everton can be a compelling option for him going forward.
The possibility of Fermin Lopez becoming a part of this operation is the lowest, as he does not want to leave Barcelona, and wants to continue with his improving role at the Catalan club.
Meanwhile, Onana’s entourage is also aware of the interest from Barcelona, and the player has the Blaugrana club as one of his priorities. In fact, he is excited about playing for the Catalans and will wait for them before considering other options for his future.
