Man Utd and Barcelona 'on the case' of £50m Everton star as transfer approach is confirmed

Everton are reportedly set to receive offers from Manchester United and Barcelona for one of their key players during the January transfer window.

Despite his side’s on-field struggles since joining the Toffees in a reported £33m deal from Lille during the summer of 2022, midfielder Amadou Onana has enhanced his glowing reputation during his time at Goodison Park.

Despite being one of the high points of what has been a challenging time on the blue half of Merseyside, Onana did suffer something of an awkward moment on Tuesday night when he struck a weak penalty in his side’s Carabao Cup shoot-out defeat at the hands of Premier League rivals Fulham.

Speaking after the defeat, Dyche said of Onana and his penalty miss: "Everyone has a style of penalty which they think can score. His record has been very strong in all the rounds and when we've practised them. That's his style.

"If you are brave enough to get up there and take one then you have to be brave enough for the consequences.  The first question is always, 'Who doesn't want to take one?' Simple as that because you need to want to take one. I'm pleased to say the whole group said they would take one.  It is the moment of truth — the ball's there, you have to put it in the net.”

Despite that error and the obvious disappointment that came with it, Onana is expected to be an integral figure in Dyche’s side as the former Burnley manager looks to extend his side’s impressive form and their march away from the relegation zone over the hectic Christmas period. After suffering a calf injury, Onana returned to the Toffees side as a substitute in their 2-0 win over Chelsea before marking his first 90 minutes since October with a goal in last weekend’s 2-0 victory at Burnley.

The latter of those wins took Everton seven points clear of the relegation zone and helped Dyche’s men wipe out the ten-point deduction imposed on them for breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules. Dyche will hope to add to the good feeling around Goodison Park during the January transfer window by adding further quality to his squad - but it seems retaining the services of one of his key midfielders could also be on the agenda.

FootMercato have claimed Manchester United are ‘still on the case’ of Belgium international Onana and are ‘continuing to follow’ his progress upon his recovery from injury.  Both the 13-time Premier League champions and La Liga giants Barcelona remain interested in pursuing a deal for the powerful midfielder, despite being reportedly met with an asking price of over £50m.

The Red Devils are said to be keen to strengthen their midfield ranks after suffering a number of injuries in the middle of the park and are ready to finalise their plans for the January transfer window over the coming days.

Speaking recently at a fans forum, United chief operating officer Collette Roche explained their approach to the market, saying: "Looking ahead to the January transfer window, we are not expecting it to be particularly busy.

"There will always be the possibility of deals around the edges of the squad, particularly in terms of finding opportunities for players who are not playing as much football as they would like. However, we've always been consistent in saying that we do not see January as the optimal time to do business and our recruitment strategy remains focused on summer windows.

“We've seen this season that Financial Fair Play rules have real teeth, so we have to be very careful to ensure that we remain compliant, and we will. But that means being really disciplined on spending going forward, with a balance between incomings and outgoings."