Everton eyeing “incredible” Onana replacement who’s never won at Goodison
His first stint in the Premier League was not a roaring success.
It could be a long summer transfer window at Everton, who are already reportedly eyeing a move to sign a midfielder who could replace Amadou Onana, should the Belgian decide to leave Goodison Park in the coming months.
“Because who knows then? You are having to self-generate everything then, I would imagine, because it’s not like there is a pile of cash anywhere so you’ve got to self-generate. And if you self-generate, how do you get in what you are losing? If someone leaves, how do you get the next one in who is as good as the one leaving? There is no time for development [of young players] because this club hasn’t got time for that.”
With that said, if Everton do sell Onana, they’ll still need a replacement and reports suggest that they’ve lined one up in the form of a former Premier League loanee. According to TuttoJuve, Everton are eyeing a move to sign Weston McKennie alongside interest from both Newcastle United and Aston Villa in a deal that would be worth between €20m and €25m (£17m and £21m) this summer.
Whether Everton will be able to afford such a fee remains to be seen, however, in what sums up their struggles once and for all ahead of a difficult few months.
“Incredible” McKennie isn’t without his risks
Whatever Everton spend this summer, they must make sure that every deal makes a significant enough impact to prove worthwhile, and after McKennie’s failed stint on loan at Leeds United last season, he’s a risk they must weigh up. Goodison Park saw the American and the rest of his Leeds teammates fall short in a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park in the last campaign in a crucial result in the relegation battle, but he has since bounced back at Juventus.
| League stats 23/24 (via FBref) | Weston McKennie | Amadou Onana |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 0 | 2 |
| Assists | 7 | 0 |
| Progressive Carries | 64 | 21 |
| Progressive Passes | 92 | 107 |
| Ball Recoveries | 115 | 160 |
Whilst Onana’s ability off the ball is better, McKennie’s creative output and ball-carrying ability would hand Everton an added dynamic alongside the similar Abdoulaye Doucoure.
What’s more, even whilst at Leeds, McKennie earned plenty of praise, including from former manager Jesse Marsch, who said via Leeds Live: “He’s got incredible flexibility and can play almost any position on the pitch and I’ve seen that. He’s aggressive, he’s confident and he has quality.
“At Schalke they played a little bit similar to the things that I like to do, so now even sitting and talking to him about what we think his role will be, he’s pretty clear on how to integrate himself. Training over the past week, he’s been outstanding.”
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