'Lampard was a big reason for me joining' - Everton complete Onana transfer from Lille

Everton have completed the signing of Lille midfielder Amadou Onana, after the young star agreed a deal with the Merseyside club that will run until June 2027. With a market value of €10 million, the 20-year-old talent makes the move to England in a deal worth a reported up-front fee of €30m - which makes Onana Everton’s sixth most expensive signing in the history of the club. 

“It feels great to join Everton. I know it’s a big, big club, one of the biggest in England,” Onana told the Everton website. “It’s something I want to be part of for many years. Everyone here showed they really wanted me and they have a plan for me, so I really appreciated the talks I had with the manager and Director of Football [Kevin Thelwell]. They told me how they wanted me to play and I enjoyed it. 

The midfielder added: “They both have a lot of ambition and that’s the type of guy I am so it matches. The manager was one of the big reasons. He played at the highest level, won many things and was a midfielder, too. It means a lot to have interest from him and I think he can teach me many things.”

There’s no doubt that Onana makes the move to Goodison Park as a much-needed signing, following the club’s rather quiet summer transfer window. Despite selling Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur for €58m, Everton had only made two signings prior to Onana’s arrival in James Tarkowski and Dwight McNeil. The player departs Lille as their fifth major sale of the summer and as the club’s fifth most expensive departure ever.