Barcelona director likes Premier League midfielder but transfer fee an issue

Barcelona are on the verge of enduring a trophyless campaign, following back-to-back defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

However, the club have managed to convince Xavi Hernandez to stay at Camp Nou and are expected to undergo a busy summer transfer window.

One of Barça’s priorities will be to sign a new defensive midfielder, who can serve as a long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets.

Deco likes Amadou Onana

According to Mundo Deportivo, Amadou Onana is one of the potential targets for Barcelona in their quest to find a new defensive midfielder this summer.

Barcelona sporting director Deco is a huge admirer of Onana, who has made quite the impression since joining Everton in 2022.

Onana is rated highly by Deco (Photo by BRUNO FAHY/Belga/AFP via Getty Images)

However, Barça’s operation to sign Amadou Onana is complicated by the midfielder’s high valuation.

Everton, after all, spent €35 million to sign Onana in 2022, but they will look to recoup that amount with additional profit in the coming summer.

For a time, Everton were involved in a relegation scrap, but the Toffees are out of the danger zone for now and are in no immediate threat of being relegated.

Everton’s stay in the Premier League should give them more leverage to negotiate a higher price for Onana.

Project Kimmich?

With Onana unlikely to be an option, Barcelona are likely to shift their attention to Joshua Kimmich.

The German international could be available for a fee of just €30-35 million this summer, with the midfielder’s contract at Bayern Munich expiring in 2025.

Apart from Kimmich, Barça have also been linked with moves for Guido Rodriguez while Andreas Christensen is an in-house option.