The powers that be at La Liga giants Barcelona are keeping a watchful eye on the efforts of Premier League outfit Everton to stave off relegation to The Championship.
That’s according to Diario Sport, who have this evening provided an insight into ongoings behind the scenes in Catalunya’s capital.
Barca’s keen interest in Everton, as per Sport, comes owing to the club’s mounting interest in the services of Amadou Onana.
Amid their search for reinforcements at the base of the club’s midfield, Deco and his team of directors are understood to have identified Belgian international Onana as their priority target.
Deco, for his part, is keen to add further physicality to the engine room ranks at the Camp Nou, with Onana deemed the ideal profile to introduce as much.
The one major stumbling block in any potential move for the 22-year-old, however, comes in the form of his price-tag.
Everton are understood to want €60 million for their engine room standout, with the presence of Arsenal and Chelsea in the race for Onana complicating matters yet further.
As a result, Barcelona are all but hoping for the Toffees to be relegated to England’s 2nd tier come the season’s close.
Sean Dyche’s troops currently sit in the Premier League relegation zone, owing largely to a 10-point deduction handed down for a breach of Financial Fair Play rules.
Should they ultimately go on to surrender their top-flight status, Onana, it is claimed, will swiftly demand a Goodison Park exit, leaving Everton with little choice but to sever their asking price.
And Barca, in such a scenario, will be primed to swoop…
Conor Laird | GSFN
