Newcastle United have identified the Everton midfielder Amadou Onana as a potential summer transfer target as Eddie Howe looks to bolster his midfield.

Would Everton sell Onana in the summer?

The Toffees find themselves in a really sticky situation ahead of the summer with their Premier League status a major question with nine games remaining.

However, their issues continue off the pitch with the club coming under serious fire as a result of their financial concerns which have been raised to an independent body.

And if Everton do find themselves in a situation where they absolutely have to sell some of their best players, then Onana could well be one of the big-ticket items in the window.

The 21-year-old only signed in the summer but did cost the Blues a whopping £33m and as a result of his age, it is probably a fee which they may feel is able to be clawed back if needed in the summer.

It will be interesting to see whether avoiding relegation could potentially see Everton keep ahold of these type of players, but it's apparent Newcastle are looking to add to their midfield.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, Craig Hope has claimed those at Newcastle have identified the £100k-per-week Belgian as a player to watch out for in the summer:

(4:40) "I mean a name which has been mentioned to me one or two times, and you know, could depend on this team being relegated but Amadou Onana down at Everton is someone who I think they like."

Would Onana be a good signing?

Despite being of such young age, the midfielder has made an immediate impact at Goodison Park where he has made 27 appearances in the Premier League alone (via Transfermarkt).

And he is a player who has received a lot of praise during his brief spell in the Premier League despite the issues Everton have endured this term.

No praise will come any more respected among Newcastle fans than that of Alan Shearer who waxed lyrical about the Belgian following his display in the recent victory against Arsenal: “A tireless display against Arsenal. Ran himself into the ground.”

Onana could be seen as the holding midfielder Newcastle may need to extract the best out of the likes of Bruno Guimaraes.

In his first season in the English top flight, Onana has returned an average of 2.55 tackles per game which is slightly down on reported target, Scott McTominay, who has provided 2.76 per 90 minutes (via FBref).

However, the Belgian has offered more than double (586) the progressive carries that McTominay has recorded (236) in a Manchester United shirt this season.

Given United are a side that Newcastle are not battling against, perhaps Onana is also viewed as a more attainable option as well as someone who has more years left in them in comparison to McTominay.