Everton were surprised that Amadou Onana didn’t leave the club this summer.
That’s according to The Athletic, who have reported that the Toffees had expected the midfielder to be snapped up at the end of last season.
Onana joined Everton for £33 million in August 2022 and went onto make 33 appearances in the Premier League, becoming one of the club’s better players during a horrific campaign.
The Belgian’s fine form caught the eye of a number of clubs including the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, with both clubs hoping to sign a midfielder this summer.
However, Sean Dyche’s side were reportedly asking for in excess of the £58m that Chelsea paid for Romeo Lavia and had put off any potential suitors. Meanwhile, there was high demand for defensive midfielders, meaning Onana ended up being far down on the list of targets.
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While it was once thought that the 22-year-old would leave Goodison Park, talk of a potential exit quickly quietened down and Onana remained at the club beyond last week’s deadline.
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Onana has since featured in all four of Everton’s matches in the Premier League this season and could catch the eye of bigger clubs once again in January if he can impress once again.
However, Onana still has four years left on his contract and his price tag is only likely to increase if he has another quality year in the English top flight. It will be interesting to see whether anyone is willing to splash the cash come the end of the campaign.