Arsenal want £60m midfielder but insignificant ‘problem’ means Arteta could sell fan favourite | OneFootball

Amadou Onana has been linked with a move to Arsenal.

According to reports, Arsenal’s interest in Everton midfielder Amadou Onana is genuine but there is a slight problem: ‘they have no money to spend’.

Onana has impressed in the Premier League since his £33million move to Goodison Park in the 2022 summer transfer window.

Several Premier League clubs are interested in signing the young Belgian international, including Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Newcastle United.

Everton are in a precarious position financially so could be open to selling one of their star players, though they recently told suitors to cough up £100m for centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, so they can’t be too desperate for money.

A report from iNews says the Toffees would listen to offers in the region of £60m for Onana.

It is claimed that Sean Dyche’s side are expected to ‘take a practical view of potential sales’ this month, and Onana – who has a 20 per cent sell-on clause that was agreed with his former club, Lille – is the most likely departure.

Given the £58m fee Chelsea paid for Romeo Lavia, and the fact Lille will receive 20 per cent of what Everton sell the 22-year-old for, it will cost ‘in the excess of £60m’ to prise the player away from Merseyside.

Everton have not received any bids or contact from interested clubs this month, the report states.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle are all namedropped, though the Gunners are identified as the club ‘most heavily linked’.

Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have a ‘problem’, however. ‘They have no money to spend without outgoings’ due to being ‘constricted by potential Financial Fair Play restrictions’.

This means a summer transfer is a lot more likely, although Everton would sell Onana for the right price this month.

Arsenal – who had the second-highest net spend in the Premier League last summer – have also been linked with Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz.

If Arteta is desperate to bring in a new player in January, he will likely try to sell Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe or Aaron Ramsdale.

Smith Rowe looks like the most likely victim. He has found minutes very hard to come by over the last 18 months.

Injuries have held him back but when fit, he is an unused substitute more often than not.

His departure will not go down well with the Emirates faithful, who adore the Hale End graduate.

Meanwhile, Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka could be brought in as a replacement for Onana.

Onyeka joined the Bees in July 2021 and has failed to become a regular starter under Thomas Frank.

Guardian journalist Ed Aarons says the Toffees and Fulham are both looking at the Nigerian international – who has been called up for this month’s African Cup of Nations.

Having signed a new contract last summer, the 26-year-old would cost around £20m, which Everton surely cannot afford without player sales.

Should Onyeka leave Brentford, Frank will look to sign Morocco international Azzedine Ounahi from Marseille, Aarons adds.