Chelsea’s pursuit of Moises Caicedo may not succeed given Brighton & Hove Albion’s prompt rejection of their most recent £80 million offer.
The 21-year-old is valued at £100 million by the South Coast club, which may force Mauricio Pochettino to reconsider his options for midfielders.
The loss of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, and the departures of N’Golo Kante has left the Argentinean with a significant hole in his midfield. Could he possibly fill one of the midfield gaps with an active Premier League player? Amadou Onana is now a potential target.
Amadou Onana could sign with Chelsea.
Leandro Paredes of PSG is one of the players the Stamford Bridge team is reportedly interested in as a Caicedo replacement, according to The Evening Standard.
Onana has also been mentioned as a possible transfer target, with Pochettino believing the young Belgian could provide the same qualities as Caicedo at a lower cost.
Everton only signed the £100,000 per week talent last summer; his contract with them has four years left. Football Transfers values him at €22.8 million (£20 million), and while the Toffees would probably expect more than that, Chelsea might be able to convince him to move to London for a lot less money than the £100 million that Brighton is asking for its greatest asset.
How did Amadou Onana fare in the previous campaign?
Onana was one of the few bright spots for the Merseyside team throughout the entire Premier League season, which was another difficult one for them after nearly surviving relegation for the second season in a row.
Despite it being his first season in England, he placed in the top ten among the Everton players for overall Sofascore rating, critical passes, tackles, and interceptions per game.
Jacek Kulig, a talent scout, praised him as a “tenacious tackler,” and Onana proved it by making 2.2 tackles per game in the top division last season. Only four Chelsea players, including Kante, made more tackles than Onana.
The Frenchman left Chelsea after spending seven fruitful years with the Blues, and he may not only be a worthy replacement for Caicedo but also Kante’s ideal heir.
Both Kante and Onana cite their ability to win the ball back frequently from the middle of the pitch as a major skill in tackling. They frequently direct play from deep in a defensive midfield position.
The two also had similar pass completion rates (83.3% to 80%) and shoots per 90 (1.39 to 1.23), demonstrating that they not only provide tenacity to their respective teams but also maintain a high pass completion rate while occasionally attempting a shot.
Kante will be a major loss for Chelsea since he frequently performs the unsung tasks that help a team succeed. However, Pochettino has the chance to cultivate a trustworthy heir apparent in the six-cap Belgian international over the coming years.