GOODISON NEWS:Everton Target Premier League Midfielder As Replacement For Amadou Onana, Who Is Set To Depart The Club And Join…

Next season, Everton will be hoping to build on what ended up being a good campaign during the 2023/24 season. The Toffees finished 15th in the Premier League, after a relegation battle the previous term.

Their eventual tally of 40 points was enough to keep them clear of Luton in 18th place, who finished on just 26 points. Not only that, Sean Dyche’s side survived the drop having had eight points deducted for two separate breaches of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules. Had they not had those eight points taken away, they would have finished in 12th.

It has already been a busy summer for the Toffees, with two permanent deals through the door. The first was Aston Villa youngster Tim Iroegbunam, who signed for a fee of £9m. They then signed Iliman Ndiaye from French side Marseille, paying the former Champions League winners £15m to acquire his services.

With many more deals still to complete at Goodison Park, the Toffees have recently been linked with another Premier League player to add quality depth to their squad.

Everton target Premier League midfielder
The player in question here is Chelsea and French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu. The 20-year-old has only been at Stamford Bridge for a year but did not feature much, and has now been linked with a move away from the club.

According to a report from French outlet Foot Mercato, Everton are one of the sides who are ‘among this list of suitors’ for Ugochukwu this summer.

However, they are not alone in their interest of the youngster, with an unspecified amount of unnamed clubs from around Europe, including one from Ligue 1, are also interested in acquiring his services.

At this stage, a loan deal seems like the most likely outcome for the young midfielder. However, if Everton or another club were to have a buy clause inserted into the deal, it could be anywhere from £12m upwards, given that is his value according to Football Transfers.

Why Ugochukwu would be a good signing
The young Frenchman’s involvement under Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge last season was sparse. This is partly due to a lack of game time, but also a hamstring injury that kept him out for 30 games. In total, the youngster only played 12 matches in the Premier League.

Should they sign Ugochukwu this summer, Everton could view him as the replacement for Amadou Onana, who is set to depart the club and join Aston Villa for £50m, as confirmed by David Ornstein. The young midfielder is certainly talented; football talent scout Jacek Kulig compared him to Patrick Vieira, as well as calling him an “absolute monster in the making”.

However, they are not alone in their interest of the youngster, with an unspecified amount of unnamed clubs from around Europe, including one from Ligue 1, are also interested in acquiring his services.

At this stage, a loan deal seems like the most likely outcome for the young midfielder. However, if Everton or another club were to have a buy clause inserted into the deal, it could be anywhere from £12m upwards, given that is his value according to Football Transfers.