Everton are determined to receive a massive fee for Amadou Onana this summer should the midfielder depart, it has emerged, despite efforts to the contrary from interested parties.

Toffees secure safety

Well, not mathematically yet. But Everton's 2-0 win in the Merseyside Derby, their first at Goodison Park since 2010, all but secured their Premier League status for next season.

With four games left to play, Sheffield United can be officially relegated this weekend and of those in the relegation zone, Luton would need to win three of their last four to catch the Toffees, while Burnley would have to win all four, all without Sean Dyche's side picking up another point.

It all comes against a backdrop of two separate points deductions for breaching financial fair play, making the achievement all the more impressive. Were it not for the eight points docked by the Premier League, they would be up in 14th and just four points outside the top half of the top flight.

Now, attentions will turn to the summer, with both Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana subjects of heavy speculation amid potential summer departures. The Toffees won't simply roll over to let them leave though.

Everton hold firm for huge Onana fee

Perhaps understandably given their ongoing concerns with FFP, Everton are demanding cash for both of their stars this summer. As a result, they have already rebuffed an offer for Amadou Onana from Spanish giants Barcelona.

This comes courtesy of Spanish outlet Sport [via sport witness], who report that Xavi's side "tried to bring down" the reported £51.5m asking price by offering players to Everton in exchange for the Belgian.

There is no mention of who those players were, but previous reports have claimed that they were ready to send one of Fermin Lopez, Ansu Fati, Clement Lenglet or Sergino Dest to Goodison Park as part of any offer.

However, they add that Everton shut this offer down sharpish, and that "negotiations did not go further" between the two sides, with the only way Barcelona can lure Onana to the Camp Nou now being courtesy of "a big pile of money".

Everton of course, have history when it comes to Barcelona outcasts. They still employ Andre Gomes in the heart of midfield, while left-back Lucas Digne (now at Aston Villa) was also signed from the Catalan giants all the way back in 2018.

Clearly, the Toffees have learnt from these mistakes, and are keen not to repeat them this summer. With Barcelona suffering their own financial problems, their insistence on cash for any deal likely rules them out of a move for Onana, leaving the Premier League his most likely destination should he depart.