Premier League club wants £70m for player linked with move to Arsenal and Chelsea - Reports

Everton have reportedly put a £70 million price tag on midfielder Amadou Onana amid interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. The Belgium international joined the Merseyside club just last summer but could be on the move again.

According to Football Insider, Everton have internally decided that they will allow Onana to leave should a club match their asking price of £70 million. Arsenal and Chelsea are said to be two of the biggest clubs interested in the midfielder's services.

The Belgian joined Everton in a £33 million move from LOSC Lille last summer and has since grown into one of the best players at the club. He has been solid in the middle of the park despite his club's dismal performances overall.

The Toffees are currently in the relegation zone with 26 points after 28 games. But things could change quickly for them as 12th-placed Crystal Palace have just four more points.

Should they suffer relegation, however, they will run the risk of losing their top players, including Onana, on cut-price deals. Moreover, they are also in the midst of a financial crisis, which could make things even worse.

Hence, they are open to selling the midfielder, even if they manage to survive, for a £70 million transfer fee. Arsenal and Chelsea will have to evaluate whether they rate the Belgian highly to shell out that amount of money in the upcoming summer window.

Journalist backs 21-year-old Onana to become Everton captain in the future

While stories of a potential departure continue to make the rounds, journalist Chris Beesley has backed Onana to become the club's captain in the future. He believes the midfielder has the required traits to lead the side.

“Many who watch Onana regularly have already suggested he could be a potential skipper and he has already built up a great rapport with Blues supporters who he regularly cajoles during matches and entertains with his extrovert gestures,” Beesley wrote in the Liverpool Echo.

“Everton’s most-successful captain Kevin Ratcliffe was just 23 when he was handed the role and David Moyes was reputedly willing to give Wayne Rooney the armband at the tender age of 18 had he spurned Manchester United’s advances in 2004.

“Age, then, needn’t be a barrier. If the Blues can hang on to one of their most-precocious talents – the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea were linked with a move with him during the January transfer window – then who knows, maybe Onana could even lead Everton out for their first ever game at the new stadium?”