Everton have reportedly entered the race to sign LOSC Lille midfielder Amadou Onana, who is also a transfer target for West Ham United.
According to Belgian publication HLN, as relayed by Sport Witness, West Ham United are set to face competition from Premier League rivals Everton in their pursuit of Lille midfield prodigy Amadou Onana.
The 20-year-old has spent just one year with Les Dogues, having arrived from Hamburger SV in the summer of 2021. And even though Lille secured a disappointing tenth place finish, Onana acquitted himself with some impressive performances in the centre of the park. He played 41 times across all competitions for Lille, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Onana made his debut for the Belgian national team in the UEFA Nations League last month and is tipped for a bright future in the game. And his potential has alerted several clubs, especially in England, with West Ham United, Everton and Leicester City showing an interest in signing the young midfielder.
West Ham United are on the lookout for midfield reinforcements after having decided not to sign Alex Kral permanently while they have also seen Mark Noble retire. And with Tomas Soucek’s future a doubt due to a breakdown in contract talks, the Hammers could need another midfielder, even though they will not be losing Declan Rice this summer and have signed Flynn Downes.
Onana, to that end, has emerged as one of David Moyes’ top targets. West Ham have already had two bids rejected for the midfielder by Lille, with the latest offer being around the €30 million mark. But the Hammers could return with an improved offer for the 20-year-old Belgian international, although they will have to stave off competition from Everton.
The Toffees also need to strengthen their midfield unit this summer after seeing the likes of Fabian Delph and Gylfi Sigurdsson leave, while Donny van de Beek’s loan deal has also run out. With Andre Gomes and Allan staring at an uncertain future, Frank Lampard could require to sign multiple new faces in midfield, which explains their interest in Tottenham ace Harry Winks and now Onana.
However, Everton are mired in financial issues, which could put them at a disadvantage in the race for Onana, considering that Lille have already knocked back an offer worth €30 million from West Ham for the midfielder. Furthermore, Leicester City are also in the mix for his signing as they prepare for Youri Tielemans’ departure.
With the race to sign Onana heating up, it will be interesting to see how among the trio of Premier League sides come out on top this summer.