Barcelona set to miss out on midfielder with Aston Villa close to finalising deal

Amadou Onana has been one of Barcelona’s top targets in their bid to sign a defensive midfielder this summer.

Currently plying his trade for Everton, the Belgian is widely expected to leave Goodison Park this summer, as the Toffees desperately look to balance their books.

Barcelona, to that end, have been looking out for a market opportunity to sign Onana, who is known for his ability to control the play in the middle of the park.

Aston Villa closing in on Onana capture

However, Barcelona’s hopes of signing Onana this summer may about to fall, as Aston Villa are now closing in on a deal to sign the Everton midfielder.

According to the reliable David Ornstein, the Premier League outfit are in the process of finalising a deal to sign Onana.

The deal could be worth around €60 million, with Everton already putting personal terms in place with the midfielder.

Ready for a new challenge at Aston Villa (Photo by DIRK WAEM/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

The Belgian is expected to sign a long-term contract with Aston Villa and become a key component of Unai Emery’s midfield setup.

What’s next for Barcelona?

Missing out on Amadou Onana means Barcelona have one less option to choose from in their bid to sign a new defensive midfielder.

However, the Everton star was never really an option for Barça due to his high valuation. That is perhaps why the Catalans have started looking out for cost-effective options in the market.

The Blaugrana are still in contention to sign Mikel Merino, although Arsenal’s interest in the Spaniard could complicate things.

It will also be interesting to see how the future of Joshua Kimmich pans out this summer. The German is likely to leave Bayern Munich and it remains to be seen whether or not Barça can take advantage of any potential market opportunity.