Barcelona make £50m-rated Everton midfielder their 'top summer target': report
The Catalans are reportedly looking to beef up their midfield with the addition of standout Toffees star
Barcelona manager are reportedly keen to add a dash of athleticism to their midfield options ahead of next season and have made Amadou Onana their top summer target.
According to German outlet SportBild, the former Hamburg and Hoffenheim workhorse is now the 'top summer target' for Barcelona, with a £50 million bid expected in the coming months.
Onana, 22, has been one of the standout stars for a struggling Toffees side this season, adding guile and tenacity to the base Sean Dyche's midfield. The Senegalese ranks among the league's top performers when it comes to distance covered and duels won. He's also chipped in with three goals in 29 appearances in all competitions so far.
Everton have been something of a basket case this season; deducted six points at the time of writing over failure to adhere to the Premier League profitability and sustainability rules. Despite this, their stinginess in defence has see them operating just above the danger zone of late.
Barcelona's porous defence has been one of the primary reasons they've fallen behind in the La Liga title race this term, conceding almost twice as many league goals (34) as Real Madrid (18) so far this campaign.
Clearly, it is felt that adding extra steel to their midfield could help make them more competitive next term.
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Ed is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career.