Liverpool reportedly in talks with Everton over Amadou Onana transfer

Everton and Liverpool are currently in negotiations over a deal for Amadou Onana, according to a report from Aaron Dominguez.

The Spanish journalist attached to the Offsider outlet claimed via Twitter on 16 August that the two Merseyside rivals were in discussions over the Belgian international midfielder, 21.

Liverpool have just missed out on deals for both Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Romeo Lavia from Southampton, with Chelsea landing both the big-money central options.

Onana has been subject to an approach from Manchester United in recent days [Guardian, 14 August], and was himself targeted by Chelsea in January.

He is expected to cost around £60million for the Toffees to let him go, even if Anfield would be the most surprising of destinations.

If this deal has a chance of happening then something must be going majorly wrong at Goodison Park, and there has to be significant doubts over the suggestion at this stage.

It would be unpopular either way if Onana became the latest in a long line of star Toffees to be sold on for big money as Everton try to balance books and fund business of their own.

But it might be grudgingly accepted as a necessary evil in order to bring in the cash that could be used to sign a new striker if it wasn’t Liverpool that were apparently buying.

There is no doubt that Jurgen Klopp needs a player of Onana’s profile, and may be running out of options elsewhere at the moment after coming off second best to Chelsea twice.

But the number of players in the past couple of decades who have played for both sides of the Merseyside derby is low, and ones that have transferred directly from one side to the other smaller still.

Conor Coady’s early Liverpool links were not an issue while he spent last season on loan at Goodison from Wolves, but not since Abel Xavier and Nick Barmby at the start of the century have Everton players moved directly across the divide.

The end of the transfer window throws up some surprises but this would surpass most, and if it did happen it is sure to go down awfully with the fanbase.

In other Everton news, the Toffees could be set to sell players to complete a deal they have already had multiple bids rejected for.