Barcelona face PSG transfer battle for 22-year-old pivot midfield target | OneFootball

Barcelona will be hellbent on turning their ailing fortunes around next season by bolstering the squad with new faces.

One key area they aim to reinforce is the defensive midfield position, as last season underscored the significant consequences of neglecting its importance.

Signing an ageing Oriol Romeu for an immensely cheap figure cost the Catalans considerably, and as such Barcelona are in the market for someone new in the position.

Amadou Onana continues to be on Barcelona’s radar

According to SPORT, Barcelona have been pursuing Everton Amadou Onana for months. The Catalans have the 22-year-old midfielder on their list of potential signings if they can make some cuts to their roster.

However, his impressive performances in the Euros are likely to drive up the number of his suitors as well as his price, as he has been one of Belgium’s key contributors.

The likes of Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong, and Ronald Araujo continue to be the centre of speculation. In the event a big name is sold, acquiring Onana would become a lot more feasible.

Man in demand. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

The report adds that a few months ago, Barça inquired about Amadou Onana and were prepared to offer €40 million. However, Everton were confident that a club would be willing to pay €60 million.

PSG interested in Onana

After all, Onana is in high demand, with PSG also pursuing him this summer. Indeed, the Ligue 1 champions are looking at the Belgian as an option if they sell Manuel Ugarte to Manchester United.

Such a scenario would be unfavourable for Barcelona as it would force them to offer a substantial sum for the physically dominant midfielder.

It remains to be seen if Barcelona can muster up the required funds, but they are certainly interested in Onana, holding his duel-winning ability and physicality in high regard.

If financial conditions allow and PSG are not in the picture, Barcelona would not hesitate to sign Onana this summer. But in case a move cannot transpire, they would go all in for Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad.

With his contract expiring next year and renewal talks stalled, Sociedad might be compelled to accept a lower offer than his €65 million release clause this summer.