£58m PL player was expected to leave this summer, with Chelsea initially chasing him

Add as preferred source on Google

There was an expectation that Everton’s Amadou Onana would leave Goodison Park this season amid previous interest from Chelsea and Arsenal.

That is according to a report from The Athletic.

However, the 22-year-old midfielder has remained on Merseyside beyond the close of the transfer window and we expect will be a key figure moving forward this season.

The Belgian powerhouse has played every minute so far this campaign for Sean Dyche’s side and has bags of potential, which is why there’s been transfer rumours this year about his future lying away from Everton.

The Athletic explains that people expected Amadou Onana would be a high-profile exit from Everton in the summer window.

It is understood that both Chelsea and Arsenal shared initial interest in the central midfielder back in January, but he never appeared as a priority target for them in the summer.

The report adds that no potential buyer was willing to meet Everton’s price tag in excess of £58million.

The Evening Standard claimed last month that Onana was a potential alternative for Chelsea if they failed to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton.

Eventually, the Blues negotiated a deal with Brighton for Caicedo as their new defensive midfield. Romeo Lavia joined from Southampton to further strengthen the midfield options, too.

We’re pretty content that Chelsea splashed the cash on Caicedo and Lavia rather than Onana.

However, the underlying issue at Stamford Bridge continues to be a lack of goals and people are already starting to question Nicolas Jackson’s goalscoring prowess.