Arsenal are staring down a ticking clock to sign Amadou Onana from Everton for a cut price.
The Gunners remain in the market for a potential replacement for Thomas Partey. The Ghana international, who joined the Gunners from Atletico Madrid in 2020, is reportedly set to leave the Emirates this summer.
The 31-year-old has been a pivotal figure in Arsenal’s midfield, albeit injuries and mercurial form of late have blighted his tenure. Everton’s Onana is viewed as an ideal replacement. The 22-year-old Belgium international was heavily linked with a swap to the Emirates in January, but a move failed to materialise.
Onana was crucial as the Toffees secured another season of Premier League football after being deducted a total of eight points following two separate breaches of the Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs).
The Merseyside club are not out of the PSR woods yet, with The Athletic reporting that Everton must make a sale before the PSR deadline shuts on 30 June. Sean Dyche’s side sold striker Lewis Dobbin to Aston Villa for a fee of around £10million, aiding their mission to remain on the right side of regulations this season.
However, another sale could be needed to ensure beyond doubt they are safe prior to June 30. Clubs in the English top-flight are allowed to lose £105m over a three-year accounting period and the report states that the Toffees have a ‘relatively small hole to fill’ before Sunday. The Athletic added that not doing so would put them at risk of a further breach.
This is good news for Arsenal who could capitalise on Everton’s vulnerability and find their Partey replacement by making a cut-price deal for Onana before Sunday’s deadline.
While Onana is at Euro 2024 in Germany with the Belgium national team, the midfielder has made clear that he is open to a move and negotiations could be completed before the window shuts. In an interview with German newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt, the Everton midfielder revealed his two career goals. He said: “I want to be a much better player. And my goal is to play for an international world club in three years.
“I also want to have qualified with Belgium for the 2026 World Cup in America in three years. I dream about that. And I will do everything I can to make these dreams come true too. I have to and will answer this very professionally. I’m under contract with Everton – and I’ll leave everything else to the media. I’ll just do my best at the European Championships and then we’ll see.”
Making the deal within the window would be paramount to Arsenal’s ambitions of not overspending and compromising on other targets. A deal made after 30 June could see Everton in a more advantageous position and thus more likely to negotiate a harder bargain for Onana’s signature.
Arteta’s team were narrowly pipped to the top spot by Manchester City last term and calls have been made to bolster both midfield and attack in order to compete with Pep Guardiola’s serial winners.
