View: Everton can hijack deal for 'Wonderful' Onana replacement as £14.3m Euro club bid rejected

Everton will be looking to bolster their midfield this summer after Amadou Onana’s move to Aston Villa was confirmed.

The 22-year-old has left Goodison Park on a £50million deal [Fabrizio Romano], leaving Sean Dyche with a sizeable gap in the middle of the park, a position now occupied by James Garner, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Tim Iroegbunam.

While the midfield was never really an issue for the Toffees last season, Dyche will be keen to add another face ahead of the 2024/25 campaign to fill the void left by the Belgian.

The midfielder struggled to cement his spot in the starting XI but was often utilised as an impact substitute. One box-to-box player linked with a move to Goodison Park could play an even more important role than that.

Celtic’s Matt O’Riley would prefer a move to Serie A with Atalanta despite holding talks with the Merseyside club, according to HITC [11 July], but the Italian side look to be struggling to match the asking price this summer.

Atalanta’s second bid worth £14.3million plus add-ons has been swiftly rejected, and while talks are ongoing, there is a significant gap in valuations [Sky Sports], leaving Everton with the perfect opportunity to strike.

Everton to hijack Matt O’Riley transfer as Atalanta deal buffers?

It is understood that the Scottish Premiership champions want to break their club record if O’Riley is to be sold this summer, holding out for a £30million transfer fee [HITC].

Given the 23-year-old’s performances last term, notching 19 goals and 18 assists in all competitions, he could play a similar role to Onana’s but have a much more telling impact at the attacking end of the pitch.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, who Everton fans will know well from his time at Liverpool, described the player as “wonderful” as well as “really intelligent” [Glasgow Live].

Considering his goal contribution record last season, as the Hoops lifted the Scottish Premiership title, it is no wonder his manager is full of praise for him.

The Toffees will need to act quickly if they are to acquire his services this summer.

In other Everton news, Hellas Verona responded after Everton submitted an £8million offer for Jackson Tchatchoua.

For more Everton news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.

The post View: Everton can hijack deal for 'Wonderful' Onana replacement as £14.3m Euro club bid rejected appeared first on Goodison News.