Newcastle United could advance move for Everton star Amadou Onana after latest Sandro Tonali news
In what have been a bleak few seasons for Everton, Amadou Onana has been one of the better performers impressing since arriving at Goodison Park in 2022.
The Belgian international has quickly found his feet in the Premier League and has been a crucial part of both Sean Dyche and Frank Lampard’s sides as the Toffees have fought to retain their place in the Premier League in recent years.
But performances that impressive will be noticed by other clubs and while there was interest in the 22-year-old over the summer transfer window, no bids eventually materialised, ensuring that Dyche would have a key member of his midfield at least until the new year.
However, Onana could well be entering the final weeks of his Everton career with Newcastle United identifying the former Lille midfielder as a potential option to replace Sandro Tonali after the Italian star was caught up in the Italian betting scandal [iNews, 23 October].
The Toffees’ dire financial position could see them forced to sell when the January transfer window opens as they have their own financial fair play fears and their proposed takeover by 777 Partners hangs in the balance as investigations continue to see whether the American investment firm are fit owners.
Newcastle seem more likely than ever to begin to explore their potential midfield options after the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday (25 October) that Tonali is set to receive a 10-month ban from football which will be confirmed following the Magpies’ Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund.
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That ban will see the midfielder miss the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign, the European Championships this summer and the early weeks of next season’s Premier League, meaning Eddie Howe’s side will be looking for a new midfielder.
Whether or not Newcastle will decide to target Onana remains to be seen, but it seems unlikely that Everton will be able to turn down a big fee from Howe’s side should they look to the Belgian to cover Tonali during his suspension.
The only potential hope for Dyche and the Everton supporters may be the fact that the Italian midfielder is only missing 10 months of football as opposed to the previously speculated three years.
Therefore, Newcastle may look to a loan signing to provide temporary cover, rather than spend a large fee once again for a permanent replacement that may not be needed and the conclusion of his suspension.
With the ban set to be confirmed sooner rather than later, Everton will likely know in the coming weeks whether or not Newcastle have a genuine interest in signing Onana and will have to decide if they’re in a position to keep him at Goodison Park.
