Arsenal 'in talks' for transfer of £60m-rated Premier League star - and it's not Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Everton midfielder Amadou Onana in the January transfer window and now the Gunners are reported to be in 'intensive talks' regarding a move for the player - he could make the jump to the Emirates Stadium this month.

This is according to a post on X (formerly Twitter) from journalist Sacha Tavolieri, who says that 'things could develop quickly' regarding the move. Arsenal are looking to strengthen their midfield in the January transfer window - bringing a player of Onana's quality to the club would be an excellent way to do this. The Gunners had previously been linked with a move for Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz but the Birmingham club's reported £100m valuation of the player appears to have put potential suitors off while Onana is set to be available for around £60m.

Where would Amadou Onana fit into Arsenal's current setup?

Under Arteta, Arsenal have played with a midfield three. Generally, he will deploy a holding player just in front of the centre-backs, with a box-to-box player and a more attacking-focused central player at his side. Usually, this season, the three consists of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz.

As an energetic player with a seemingly limitless engine, Onana would likely be best suited to functioning in the box-to-box role. He possesses all the technical ability, defensive intelligence and physicality that a midfielder of this ilk needs - his movement off the ball is also excellent. He isn't the highest of goal scorers, having found the back of the net just twice in 47 Premier League games, but this killer edge may come with time.

Playing Onana in central midfield will give players such as Odegaard and Havertz more freedom, as he will be able to cover for them on the defensive side of the game. Moreover, he can also fill in for Rice in the holding role should the England international need rotating. With Thomas Partey and Jorginho set to leave the club, possibly this month, bringing in depth to replace them is a must.