Amadou Onana speaks out on Goodison Park future, he may have checked out of Everton already
Everton midfielder Amadou Onana may already have one eye on a possible Goodison Park exit in January after recent comments.
The Belgian international joined Goodison Park in a big-money £33m move last summer and has swiftly become a star player and an instant hit amongst the Everton support despite a tough year at Goodison Park.
As a result of his swift emergence on the scene in the English top-flight and his showstopping performances in a struggling Everton team, Onana has been attracting plenty of interest from the Premier League’s elite.
The Belgium midfielder was the subject of a reported approach by Manchester United in the summer (Guardian, 14 August), while Chelsea were also credited with an interest (Daily Mail, 16 June).
The Daily Mail reported on 11 July that the Toffees were under pressure to sell the 22-year-old star, who starred during the 2022/23 season, because of the club’s considerable financial constraints, which was further blighted by the considerable funding of their new Bramley-Moor Dock Stadium development and the FFP pressures Everton are embroiled under.
No such transfers materialised over the summer which will have come as some major relief to manager Sean Dyche, especially with the club undertaking some crucial business in the end.
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However, the Belgian’s recent comments in the media certainly suggest that he may bring an end to his career in the blue half of Merseyside quicker than expected.
Speaking in September (Le Soir, 5 September), the former LOSC Lille man hinted that he has to bide his time before he eventually quits for pastures new and that he doesn’t want to rush any decisions but is fully focused at Everton.
Over a month on, and the 22-year-old states that he holds long-held ambitions to play in the Champions League and when asked whether he could remain at Goodison Park long-term, he said he doesn’t have a “crystal ball”.
Speaking to La Capitale (11 October), he said:
“Two years ago I got the chance to play in the Champions League with Lille,” he said.
“But it does indeed make me want to play in these types of competitions again in the future. It is up to me to work and show on the field that I can also play in such matches.”
“That was my goal at the start of the season. But like I said, I don’t have a crystal ball,” he said.
“I am not able to tell you what will happen in the future. For the moment, I remain 10 per cent focused on my performance on the pitch. This is what will determine my future and that of the club.”
While the 22-year-old rightly remains focused on the job at hand at Goodison Park, he’s certainly not ruling out a quicker-than-expected exit out of Everton.
Everton’s continued financial issues off the pitch mean that decent bids for any players would probably be considered in January to try and help balance the books.
It’s clear Onana is using his time at the club as a stepping stone to a bigger platform and given his extraordinary abilities, it won’t be long before the elite clubs come calling with a huge offer.
A huge offer which could be incredibly beneficial to the Toffees, even in the event of an incoming takeover from 777 Partners and given Onana’s recent comments, it seems as if he’s already checked out.
In other Everton news, prospective new Everton owners 777 Partners could sanction one senior Goodison Park exit in January after latest transfer news.
