West Ham United have been rebuffed by LOSC Lille in their pursuit of Amadou Onana this summer.
According to Sky Sports, West Ham have received a fresh blow in their pursuit of Amadou Onana. The LOSC Lille defensive midfielder has emerged as one of their top midfielder targets this summer, but it appears their second bid for the number six has been rejected by the Ligue 1 outfit.
Sky Sports suggests West Ham’s bid was worth around €30 million. But Lille have no intention to offload their midfield prospect unless the Premier League outfit are willing to come up with an even better offer, which appears to be unlikely as the Hammers are now looking at other options in the market.
Formerly of TSG Hoffenheim, Onana enjoyed a relatively solid season after his €7 million move to Lille last summer. He played a bit-part role for Les Dogues the last term, but he did make an impression with his work ethic and ability to cover a lot of ground in the second line of press.
Onana’s talent has not gone unnoticed, with West Ham among the clubs interested in his services. Although the Hammers are likely to keep hold of Declan Rice in the summer, there is a cloud of uncertainty over the future of Tomas Soucek while the club have also released Alex Kral.
The retirement of Mark Noble will also leave a hole in the squad, thus accentuating the need for a new midfielder this summer. West Ham have already targeted several options in the market including Leicester City superstar Youri Tielemans.
But someone like Amadou Onana could have been a realistic option. The Belgian himself may have thrived under David Moyes’s tactical setup while playing under the shadow of Rice and Soucek can always be beneficial for young players like him. However, West Ham United have been dealt a setback again, with their offer being rejected.
Although the report suggests Lille have no intention to part ways with the former Hamburger SV starlet this summer. West Ham United, for their part, are looking at other options in the market, but the Hammers could still keep a close eye on Onana’s situation and jump up on any potential market opportunities this summer.
