Amadou Onana has become the fifth signing of what is turning into an increasingly busy and hectic transfer window for Everton.
Onana’s arrival had been well anticipated and he had attended the opening Premier League match of the season as Everton hosted and lost to Chelsea.
The 20-year-old is a very highly regarded young midfielder who has already been capped by Belgium despite having only played a season of top flight football.
His international manager Roberto Martinez has praised Onana’s qualities and maturity and reckons the Toffees’ have got one of Europe’s best young midfield talents.
It is not clear whether he will start soon or if he will be eased into the Blues’ team over the course of the coming campaign.
Onana himself has said he’s very comfotable doing any midfield role whether that’s operating as a number six deep lying defensive player or as a more fluid, box-to-box type role. This means he gives his manager real tactical flexibility.
While his defensive qualities are obvious – he loves to tackle and provides that much-needed additional physical presence at six foot five- he is also very comfortable on the ball and this is an aspect of his game that will hopefully continue to improve.
Certainly, his new manager Frank Lampard is an ideal mentor to have given his outstanding career in midfield for Chelsea and England.
And, this link was a key reason why Onana opted for a move to Merseyside rather than possibly heading to East London and West Ham who were also very keen on signing the Belgian.
He may still be joined by Idrissa Gueye whose protracted move back to Goodison Park from PSG is still apparently alive, but as yet we appear to be a long way from an announcement that this one has been successfully concluded.
Having now restructured the defence and central midfield it is sorting out who will score the goals in Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s absence. That is the final transfer priority for Everton in this window.