‘Enormous potential’ – Club were told to sign Everton player, missed out and now it’ll cost

On Wednesday, Sport reported that it’s no surprise Barcelona sporting director Deco has made Everton’s Amadou Onana his main target for the summer.

A day later, Mundo Deportivo reported the La Liga side want to sign a midfielder in the summer and the 22-year-old is the one who seduces them the most.

A ‘confidential’ report from Sport provides a background on Barca being urged to sign the Everton star in the past.

Onana arrived at Goodison Park from Lille in 2022, a year after joining the Ligue 1 side. His performances for the French club also helped him to make his debut for Belgium in June 2022, under Roberto Martínez’s orders.

The newspaper states Martínez, who is currently in charge of Portugal, had advised the Catalan club to sign the Belgium international, probably before he moved to Everton. It’s claimed the Spaniard had ‘warned’ Barca of Onana’s ‘enormous potential’.

Jordi Cruyff was then the sporting director at the Camp Nou and will have been the man Martínez contacted.

Sport state Onana’s asking price and Barca’s financial situation made it difficult for them to sign the Toffees man in the past.

Barcelona continue to like the Belgian but their economic conditions haven’t improved. Therefore, the report states it won’t be easy to take him away from Everton.

Previous reports in Spain have indicated Barcelona are keen for Everton to be relegated, hoping the price for Onana will then drop.