If there’s been one big bright spot for Everton this season, it’s the performances of Amadou Onana since his arrival from Lille.
The midfielder was a relative unknown when he was signed in the summer window but quickly established himself as a key player at Goodison Park and hasn’t looked back since.
That’s seen him establish himself on the national stage as well, and Het Laatste Nieuws cover that today, particularly how he could be set for an even greater role under new manager Domenico Tedesco.
They explain how for years Axel Witsel was the ‘glue in midfield’ for the national team but when Tedesco named his first squad for this break, he wasn’t in it.
That means a new holder for the midfield will be needed and the Everton star is one of those who could fill the gap.
Their belief is that won’t be the case, with Onana having become ‘indispensable’ for Everton this season in more of a box-to-box role than in the number six. He can, though, play there in ‘extreme need’.
They say that the midfielder is more reminiscent of Marouane Fellaini, praising him for being mature for his age and relative lack of experience.
His ability to ‘put pressure well’ and the fact he is ‘unyielding in duels’ as well as being capable of getting into the opponent’s box, means he is better suited to being free in midfield than sitting in front of it. His height is also an advantage when it comes to aerial duels.
It’s these which have made him such a key player at Goodison Park and why ‘bigger clubs have him on their radar’ ahead of the summer transfer window.
Whether he moves on remains to be seen and for now the focus is on international duty, where it appears he will be handed a chance to stake his claim as the future under Belgium’s new manager.