It's difficult to judge Everton based on the Premier League table alone. As things stand, the Toffees sit just one point clear of the relegation zone, but without the deduction, they would be as high as 12th and 11 points clear of the drop. That said, those at Goodison Park must face their current reality and continue a solid season of results to keep their top-flight status intact once again.
It could yet be a damaging month for the Merseyside club, however, with a Premier League rival reportedly making contact to sign one of Sean Dyche's best players at Goodison Park. His exit would certainly deal the Toffees a major blow.
Everton transfer news
After already breaching Financial Fair Play rules, Everton's main priority may well be to stay within the regulations these days, rather than run the risk of another decuction, which could leave them all but relegated. This means that it could be a fairly quiet month in the blue half of Merseyside when it comes to incomings. Instead, Everton may be forced to shift their focus to keeping hold of certain players with one club reportedly circling to land one of Dyche's stars.
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According to TeamTalk, Arsenal have made an approach to sign Amandou Onana from Everton this month. The Toffees will hope to fend off any interest by reportedly setting a huge price tag, with previous estimations sitting between £70m and £90m in what would likely be one of the most expensive deals in the transfer window this month.
Whilst Everton are reluctant to sell Onana, they reportedly see the midfielder as one of their most sellable assets, which could potentially see them cash in for the right price. As the window goes on, the Belgian will certainly be one to keep an eye on amid Arsenal's interest.
"Terrific" Onana is vital to Everton's survival chances
At just 22-years-old, Onana is only likely to get even better over time in the Premier League and that makes him vital to Dyche's side in both the present and future. As things stand, the Belgium international is vital to their survival chances, making a mid-season departure a potential disaster for those at Goodison Park. Onana's stats prove how important he is to Dyche, given that he's started 15 of Everton's 20 Premier League games in the current campaign.
It's therefore no surprise that Onana has earned plenty of praise from Dyche, who told Everton TV: “I thought Amadou [Onana] was terrific today, not just his goal but the ugly side of the game with his hard work and positional sense."
What stands out most when looking at Onana's performances is his aerial ability. The midfielder is in the top 95 percentile for aerials won when compared to midfielders in Europe's top five leagues. His 2.47 aerial duels won per 90 minutes makes him a vital player in Dyche's squad and someone that Everton should avoid selling at all costs during the January transfer window.