With Amadou Onana’s departure from Everton all but confirmed, Sean Dyche’s team is now leading the search for a replacement defender. This summer, the Toffees will look for a successor to Onana. The great news from Goodison Park is that the saga of Amadou Onana’s future has been ended. On Saturday, David Ornstein of The Athletic reported that the Belgian is on the verge of joining Aston Villa for a sum of around £50 million.
With the 22-year-old’s departure expected for some time, the Toffees have long been looking for Onana’s replacement in the middle of the park. Wilfred Ndidi was supposed to be Everton’s ideal contender to replace this gap, but it has since been announced that the Nigerian has decided to stay at Leicester City, signing a new three-year contract at the King Power Stadium.
The Toffees have also had a prolonged interest in former Liverpool player Arthur Melo. The Brazilian midfielder became a free agent this summer after his contract with Juventus terminated at the end of last month. Despite playing only 13 minutes at Anfield, Everton have made contact with the youngster in the hopes that he may help fill the void created by Onana’s departure.
While the Toffees look to be focusing primarily on finding an Onana successor, reports suggest that the Merseyside club is also interested in bringing in a sought-after defensive player this summer. Everton ahead in the race for a Serie A defender. According to Sport Witness, Everton is in the running to sign Hellas Verona defender Jackson Tchatchoua. According to the site, the Toffees appear to be serious in signing the player, having already submitted an offer for the defender through an intermediary to try to kick off negotiations.
This development comes after Everton expressed an interest in Tchatchoua earlier this month; however, it now appears that the Toffees have gone one step further and made an offer for the full-back. West Ham are also thought to be interested in signing the 22-year-old, as the Hammers hunt for a new right back to replace the departing Ben Johnson.
According to Sport Witness, Verona wants at least €8 million (£6.9 million) to part ways with the defender this summer. Having spent only £2.5 million last month to make Tchatchoua’s loan from Belgian side Royal Charleroi S.C. permanent, the Italian club stands to make a tidy profit if the move goes through.
In his 26 league games for Verona last season, the natural full-back played as both a right and left-sided midfielder, indicating that he is not hesitant to push forward when needed. Tchatchoua’s adaptability could be crucial for Dyche’s team next season as they attempt to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
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