Amadou Onana has refused to be drawn on speculation about his immediate future at Everton - but has admitted he would one day like to play for one of the "biggest clubs" in the world.
The 21-year-old Belgium international, who arrived at Goodison Park from Lille last summer, has been one of the few bright sparks for the Blues this season as they find themselves engulfed in another fight for Premier League survival.
Eye-catching displays under both bosses Frank Lampard and later Sean Dyche saw Onana linked with a sensational January switch to Chelsea, just four months after making the move to Merseyside. However, with the Stamford Bridge outfit's interest appearing to be tentative at the mid-season point of the season, the former Lille midfielder stayed put on Merseyside and has been integral to the Blues' mini-revival under Dyche in recent weeks.
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But speaking to French publication SO FOOT, Onana acknowledged that his future ambitions may lie away from Goodison Park.
"I see myself having had a lot of life experiences, which will have made me learn a lot about human beings in general, as well as about myself," said the midfielder when asked about his plan for the next five years. "I see myself, God willing, in one of the biggest clubs recognised worldwide."
On Wednesday night, Everton travel to north London to face Premier League table-toppers Arsenal, another side who have been credited with an interest in Onana, with the Blues hoping to make it five wins from their last six league meetings with the Gunners and claim a vital three points in their quest to leapfrog West Ham United and beat the drop.
Yet despite the difficulties that face Everton, who currently sit 18th in the table, between now and the season, the midfielder believes Dyche has enough quality with the Goodison Park ranks to retain the club's ever-present Premier League status.
"It's not an easy season," added Onana. "I had never played before in a team that fought not to go down, and the fact that Everton is an important club in England, and that it has never gone down to the Championship, that adds a little more pressure.
"But we take it well, we live it well, we know that we have the quality and the ability to keep the club in the Premier League. On a personal level, it's going pretty well, because I've evolved in the space of half a season, it shows on the pitch in the maturity of my game.
"I had to adapt quickly, because here , there is less time to think, fit in spaces, turn around… I create a lot more chances than before, because I am more present in the sixteen meters. When I took stock of my performances this summer, it was one of the points I wanted to improve."
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