Arsenal ‘closely’ watching £33m ‘monster’ as Douglas Luiz alternative in January

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Arsenal are keeping tabs on Everton midfielder Amadou Onana.

It is no secret that Arsenal are on the lookout for potential midfield additions, and Amadou Onana has now emerged as a possible signing. 

According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal are “closely” watching Onana at Everton. 

The £33 million former Lille man has been a key figure at Goodison Park since his arrival in the summer of 2022. The 22-year-old has once against been a regular starter for Sean Dyche’s side this season and has often impressed in the middle of the park.

There are still some rough edges to the nine-cap Belgium international’s game. He is capable of misplacing passes and making poor decisions in the final third. His physical attributes mean that he is capable of dominating matches, though. At 6’4”, fast, and powerfully built, he has understandably been described as a “monster” in the past by Belgian icon Philippe Albert.

Mikel Arteta won’t be the only manager to have taken note of Onana’s potential. If he can become more consistent and a more regular threat in the final third then the player has the ingredients required to become truly elite, and the Merseyside club will surely struggle to retain his services. 

Do Arsenal need Amadou Onana?

The north London club are unlikely to make a concerted effort to secure Onana’s services in the upcoming January transfer window. For a start, Aston Villa ace Douglas Luiz is thought to be Arteta’s “dream” target for this winter. Whilst Onana could be considered a viable alternative to Luiz, the Brazilian is a more polished player than the Everton man can yet claim to be. 

On top of that, the Toffees would surely demand a huge fee in exchange for the midfield powerhouse. Given the Gunners can only boast a limited budget heading into the winter market, they would surely struggle to get such a deal done. 

Finally, injuries to Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu have left Arteta’s defensive contingent dangerously depleted. Addressing that weakness in his squad has to be at the top of the January agenda ahead of any potential midfield signings.

From Onana’s point of view, the best thing for the player is to stay at Everton, at least until the end of the current campaign. The Toffees are in good form, and Onana will continue to learn and develop under Dyche. He would be better off waiting to make a step up to a Champions League-level club until he is truly ready to shine at that level on a consistent basis.