Newcastle United are keeping tabs on Everton midfielder Amadou Onana as they prepare for potential suspension of Sandro Tonali.
Sandro Tonali is facing a lengthy ban after being implicated in a betting scandal, alongside Italy teammates Nicolo Fagioli, who has already been hit with a long ban, and Nicolo Zaniolo. The central midfielder is set to be handed a 10-month ban for illegal betting on football, which will rule him out for the rest of the 2023/24 season.
The shocking news comes less than four months after Tonali joined the Magpies from AC Milan in a £52million deal. Indeed, the potential absence of a key player has prompted Newcastle United to look at midfield options ahead of the winter transfer window, and Everton’s Amadou Onana has reportedly emerged as a target.
Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips is at the top of the pile on Eddie Howe’s list, but if Newcastle are unable to sign him on loan, they could make an approach for Amadou Onana. Onana, 22, joined Everton from Lille in the summer of 2022 and played a key role in helping the club maintain its top-flight status last season. The Belgium international has made 43 appearances for the Toffees so far, registering a goal and three assists in the process.
Amadou Onana on Newcastle’s radar
While Onana is an important player in Sean Dyche’s setup and has a long-term contract with Everton, he could still be on the move in the near future given the amount of interest in him from top English clubs. Newcastle are among the clubs keen on having the defensive midfielder in their ranks.
Eddie Howe is on the lookout for a player to potentially replace Tonali in his team, and he feels the Belgium international could be a great fit for the Tyneside-based club. Standing at 6ft 4ins, Onana is an intimidating figure on the pitch, and he would add more physicality and power to Newcastle’s midfield if a move materialises. Given his best role is in a defensive midfield position, the 22-year-old could therefore be an ideal replacement for Tonali.
Considering there is a lack of financial security at Goodison Park, Everton could sell Onana in January if a reasonable offer is made, although Newcastle might prefer to explore a loan move with the option to buy in Tonali’s absence rather than splash what would be a sizeable fee on a temporary replacement.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
