Everton would expect a “higher” fee than the £58m that Chelsea have spent on Romeo Lavia if they sell Manchester United target Amadou Onana, according to the Liverpool Echo.

Reports over the past week have linked the Red Devils with a move for the Belgian international but it appears that the midfielder will be well beyond the Manchester club’s price range.

Onana is ahead of Lavia in the pecking order for Belgium, having even captained his country. On top of that, he has a lot more experience at club level, having played 100+ senior games.

For that reason, the Echo say that Everton feel more than justified in demanding such a fee for Onana, having only signed him from Lille for £33.5m a year ago.

That tough stance will likely lead to United pursuing cheaper, more attainable targets before the transfer window shuts.

Prices for midfielders have skyrocketed

With Chelsea spending £107m and £115m on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo respectively over the last eight months, on top of the £105m that Arsenal shelled out on Declan Rice, the market for midfielders is pretty crazy.

Demanding £60m for Onana can, therefore, be rationalised in such an inflated market. However, you would have to say that there are plenty of cheaper options abroad that would be deemed better value for money.

Onana wouldn’t have been the right tactical fit for United anyway

There is no doubt that the 21-year-old is a player with a very high ceiling. His physicality and technical ability have drawn comparisons to a young Patrick Vieira.

However, as United legend Rio Ferdinand has recently pointed out, Onana has failed to nail down a specific midfield role. Manager Erik ten Hag has been targeting a holding midfielder and that is not a position that the Belgian is ready to play currently.