The final weeks of the summer transfer window could be heating up for Everton and manager Frank Lampard at Goodison Park after the Toffees are reportedly closing in on not one, but two, key additions to central midfield.
First reported by Belgian football expert Sacha Tavolieri and then corroborated by transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Everton has all but sealed a deal for LOSC Lille’s Belgian international defensive midfielder Amadou Onana.
Amadou Onana will undergo medical tomorrow as new Everton player, he will join until June 2027. Agreement 100% reached and will include 20% sell-on clause. 🔵🤝 #EFC
Gana Gueye hasn’t been called up by PSG as he’s one step away from joining Everton, details being resolved. pic.twitter.com/F0DOBSuGqd
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 5, 2022
It was first thought two days ago that West Ham United would win the race for the coveted 20-year-old after claimed the Hammers had agreed to a £33m deal for Onana, but Everton has busted through the door for the former TSG 1899 Hoffenheim academy graduate in a deal that, if completed, would offer Everton an excellent long-term option in the holding midfield role.
But there could also be further business apart from Onana as well, with a possible return to Merseyside for Senegalese midfield veteran Idrissa Gueye.
The arrival of Lille midfielder Amadou Onana (20) at Everton does not impact on the Toffees’ deal with PSG for former player Idrissa Gueye (32) – Frank Lampard reportedly wants to conclude the deals for both players.(GOAL)https://t.co/MSdS1JfWu8
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) August 5, 2022
The Dakar-born 32-year-old shone for five years at Lille before a one-year stint with Aston Villa provided a segway into three highly successful seasons at Everton, which would eventually earn him a move back to France with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.
With Christoph Galtier’s arrival in the city of lights this summer, Gueye has found himself to be surplus to requirements at the Parc des Princes after Portuguese duo Vintinha and Renato Sanches arrived from FC Porto and Lille respectively.
Given that Lampard has already replaced Richarlison with Dwight McNeil, and added a first-choice center-back in James Tarkowski all while securing a quality depth option at left-back through Rúben Vinagre, it could be just enough for the club to at least put distance between themselves and the bottom three after a 2021-22 campaign that narrowly ended in catastrophe.
