Arsenal transfer news: Everton's £60m star justifies price tag with best defensive figures in Europe

Amadou Onana’s defensive figures have revealed him to be the best in Europe for his position - amid reports of a move this summer.

While Everton fans would love to keep the Belgian at the club, interest has been strong in the midfielder for the past year and given their perilous financial situation, they could even be forced to sell to raise funds in the wake of fears over financial fair play and profit sustainability rules.

As revealed by DataMB, Onana has the highest duel win rate (62.3%) of any midfielder in Europe's Top 5 Leagues. That’s better than fellow top 10 midfielders Adam Wharton, Toni Kroos, Fabian Ruiz and Dani Parejo. And it’s clear to see Onana has developed under Sean Dyche, becoming more positionally aware and he has gone on to translate such form onto the international scene.

Arsenal and Manchester United are two clubs that have held strong interest in him, with one report stating a £60m fee is being linked. Belgium manager Roberto Martinez had previously claimed he is ‘one of the most exciting prospects in European football’. A strong European Championships campaign could drive further interest in the midfielder.

However, it would leave them light in midfield. Dele Alli and Andre Gomes are set to depart at the end of the season following their contracts expiring, while the club still need to trigger their option to extend Idrissa Gueye’s deal after he has shown a brilliant run of form in recent months. That leaves Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Garner - meaning reinforcements in the centre of the pitch are crucial.

Onana’s season may be remembered for his shocking penalty miss during the EFL Cup quarter-final against Fulham but he has been a defensive force that has helped Everton to concede the fourth-least goals in the league. He would no doubt be missed if he was sold this summer as replacing someone with the best duel percentage in Europe would always be a difficult task.