Newcastle latest alleged suitors for Everton midfielder Amadou Onana

Everton are preparing again to stave off potential interest from their Premier League rivals after weeks of stories that Onana is on other club's radar.

Almost since the day he signed for the Blues in summer 2022, Onana has been the subject of various reports that he is wanted by other clubs.

These stories have continued and increased again this month as the January transfer window opened a few weeks ago.

Given all their off-the-pitch problems Everton are under severe pressure financially making it more likely than usual that they may well consider selling a playing asset this month.

Arnaut Danjuma is being strongly linked with a move to French football with Lyon, although he wouldn't command a fee of course as he is on loan from Villarreal.

But today there are fresh stories that Abdoulaye Doucoure could be a target for clubs in the wealthy Saudi Super League.

So if there was any chance of the Toffees cashing in on players then individuals like Doucoure and Onana would be prime candidates.

However, clearly the club cannot let both of these players leave now and in fact in my view cannot let either leave this month.

Onana has been at times a very frustrating player who has mixed some very good and really bad performances in his time on Merseyside.

One of the problems always seemed to be that he didn't have a clear role in the team. Was he a deep lying defenisve midfielder or more attack-minded?

Recently he has tended to play a more orthodox defensive role, particularly with Idrissa Gueye having been out injured (and now away on international duty with Senegal) and Doucoure operating as the attacking link with the strikers.

This latest story also alledges that the former Lille youngster is unsettled at Goodison Park and might well want a move.

While I think some Evertonians wouldn't be adverse to him going, especially if it was for a big fee, it wouldn't be ideal to see Onana go to Newcastle, following his former team-mate Anthony Gordon, even though the Magpies are operating at the other end of the Premier League table.

In an aside to this story, Onana is one of the signings whose arrival might come under the microscope as the League's commission once again looks into Everton's accounts for the period that ended last summer.

Onana was one of the players signed in that time period by then manager Frank Lampard as the Blues splashed out a bit spending around £30 million on the Belgian as well as bringing in a number of other players.

Whatever may or may not happen this month it does appear as though the rumours about his future won't go away and will no doubt resume in the summer, whether the Toffees are still a Premler League club or not.