Barcelona unwilling to spend more than €40 million on Premier League midfield enforcer

With the ongoing campaign disappointing on so many levels, Barcelona president Joan Laporta is considering making serious investments in the squad during the summer transfer window.

The idea is to get rid of players that are underperforming and generate income while also using the Barça Studios lever to get back to 1:1 rule so that they can operate freely in the summer.

Two positions – defensive midfield and left-wing – are considered to be the main objectives for Barcelona in the summer. And the targets for those areas have been identified as well.

While AC Milan’s Rafael Leao appears to be admired for the left flank, Amadou Onana of Everton appears to be the preferred candidate for the pivot midfield position, reports SPORT.

Onana will be signed as long as he costs €40 million

Onana has been a top performer for Everton since joining the club in 2022 from Lille OSC. The 22-year-old’s performances in England have made an impression in the Barcelona board.

As reported earlier this month, there have already been preliminary contacts made to explore the possibility of the move in the summer window.

And as per the report, Barcelona are willing to go ahead with the operation to sign Onana as long as it does not exceed €40 million.

The Blaugrana do not wish to spend more than €40 million on the Belgian midfield enforcer, which could jeopardise the operation as Everton are said to be seeking at least €60 million.

Onana has attracted interest from other clubs in the Premier League, who could be in a position to meet Everton’s demands.

So, it remains to be seen how Barcelona decide to proceed with their pursuit of the 22-year-old midfielder in the months to come.