Arsenal and Aston Villa target tipped to become ‘one of the best’

Kevin Mirallas has tipped Everton and Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana to become ‘one of the best’ for club and country.

Onana joined the Toffees from French side Lille in the summer of 2022 and has since made 72 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing three assists.

The 22-year-old was first among Everton players in the 2023/24 Premier League for passes and final third passes completed per 90 minutes, while he also averaged 3.06 tackles and 3.62 possessions won in the middle third per 90.

Onana’s form at Goodison Park has seen him become a regular starter at international level with Belgium, for whom he already has 13 senior caps under his belt and wore the captain’s armband against Germany in March 2023.

The midfielder is part of the Red Devils’ squad that will look to end their long wait for a major international title at Euro 2024 in Germany this summer.

What’s more, Onana’s achievements haven’t gone unnoticed in the transfer market, with the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa heavily linked with a move this summer.

Mirallas backs Onana to become ‘one of the best’

Former Everton winger Kevin Mirallas — himself a 60-time Belgium international during his playing days, when he also turned out 186 times for the Toffees between 2012 and 2018 — has backed Onana to join the game’s elite midfielders in years to come.

“Onana has done well on the whole at Everton,” Mirallas told the official Everton website of his compatriot. “It is never easy adapting to the Premier League, but he’s played a lot of games and been an important member of the squad.

“I think his potential is huge, and I think when he manages to understand better and utilise his qualities, then he can go on to be one of the best in the middle for club and country.

“He’s obviously helped by his physical attributes. His size and strength make him a real asset defensively in terms of winning lots of individual duels. Everton are very good at set-pieces and he is one of the biggest dangermen from them in those moments.

“I’d say that size also helps him going forward, too. He’s great at driving up the pitch with the ball at his feet, and I actually think he could do that more. Maybe he will as he develops over the next few years. But it’s not just his power, I also like his technical ability which can be underrated.

“Onana moves the ball well and has really impressive technique – good touches in tight areas always. In many ways, he has the whole package of what a midfielder needs, like the perfect box-to-box type who can impact the game both going forward, and when defending.

“He is confident, too, and I think you need that to take control of games. I really like this about him.

“I think we will see him go from strength to strength.”

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