Chelsea eye shock move for £33m Everton man after Lampard departure triggers uncertainty
After the sacking of Frank Lampard, highly-rated Everton midfielder Amadou Onana could now leave the club this January, according to reports.
The Belgium international signed on a £33m deal last summer, but due to financial issues within the Merseyside club, there are rumours that they may be forced to sell Onana if a sizeable offer comes in.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter is allegedly a big fan of the 20-year-old, so he may take this opportunity to test Everton’s resolve.
The Toffees are currently in the midst of yet another relegation battle after winning just three of their opening 20 league games, putting them joint-bottom of the Premier League table.
A big part of the problem is the teams they are losing to. In their last six matches, they have lost to Bournemouth, Wolves, Southampton and West Ham, who are all in contention for relegation this season.
As a result, Lampard was relieved of his duties as Everton manager, which has led to uncertainty regarding the future of Onana.
The English coach was reportedly key in convincing the Belgian to sign for the Toffees in the first place, so he may look now for a move to a club who are not in such a dire situation.
Chelsea may test Everton resolve with January bid for Onana
According to the Telegraph, Chelsea manager Potter is very interested in bringing Onana to Stamford Bridge this month.
As per the report, the Toffees ‘would be highly reluctant to sell Onana’, but Chelsea could bid for him in January, seal a deal, and then send him back on loan to Goodison Park for the rest of the season.
This would not go down well with Evertonians, however, as the midfielder has been one of the few positives for them and looks set to have a tremendous career ahead of him if his potential is anything to go by.
Onana began his career with Hoffenheim in Germany, before joining Hamburg and becoming a key player for them despite being just 18 at the time.
The Belgian then joined French side Lille in 2021, where he spent one successful season, making 42 appearances across all competitions and scoring three goals, as well as assisting one.
Everton then signed him for £33m last summer in what looked to be a major coup, as he had been heavily linked with a move to West Ham.
This season, he has been one of the first names on the team sheet for Lampard, making 18 appearances in the league – recently scoring his first goal in a 2-1 defeat to Southampton.
Standing at 6ft 4, he is an imposing figure on the pitch, with the ability to play as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder.
It’s no secret Chelsea are in the market for midfielders at the moment. Jorginho is expected to leave the club at the end of the season, while N’Golo Kante has also been linked with a summer departure, so Onana could represent an excellent long-term replacement for one of them.
While the youngster has already put in impressive performances this season, he could truly become one of Europe’s most exciting centre-mids if he reaches his sky-high potential.
