Despite their point punishment, Everton easily avoided relegation, finishing 15th in the Premier League and 14 points above the relegation zone.
Belgium international Amadou Onana, who scored three goals and provided one assist in 30 Premier League outings last season, had a significant role in this success.
Onana’s defensive prowess and mobility enabled Sean Dyche’s club maintain eight clean sheets, leading them to safety.
Everton could sign Onana replacement
Everton are reportedly interested in signing Wilfred Ndidi from Leicester City when he becomes a free agent later this month.
The 27-year-old’s contract with the Foxes expires on June 30th, and he has refused a new contract, leaving Everton open to signing the Nigeria international.
Ndidi could prove to be an astute substitute for the highly regarded Onana, who has many Premier League suitors searching for his signature.
How Ndidi compares to Onana
The Nigerian, once dubbed “the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League” by one former professional, spent last season in the Championship with Leicester, helping them win the title and return to the top flight.
Ndidi appeared 36 times for the Foxes across all competitions, scoring six goals, assisting six times, and keeping 14 clean sheets. In his debut season at Leicester, Ndidi was in a somewhat different position under coach Enzo Maresca.
Despite being a defensive midfielder (number six) for the bulk of his career, Maresca played Harry Winks deeper in the middle to orchestrate play for his team, resulting in Ndidi playing more of a box-to-box number eight role.
Onana possesses the ability and athleticism to play as a box-to-box midfielder, although both players are known for their defensive skills and ability to cover ground.
Ndidi only made 1.57 tackles per 90 minutes for Leicester last season, but he was playing as the number eight in the Championship.During his 2022/23 Premier League season as a defensive midfielder, he averaged 3.26 tackles per 90.
In comparison to Onana, he averaged 3.06 tackles per 90 minutes while playing for a club in the Premier League’s bottom half. The Belgian also averaged 2.24 aerials, 1.08 blocks, and 0.9 interceptions per 90.
Again, when comparing Ndidi’s stats from the Championship season (2023/24) to Onana’s, he underperformed: 1.31 aerials per 90, 0.85 blocks per 90, and 1.14 interceptions per 90 (thus this stat actually tops Onana’s number in this category).
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