West Ham United have reportedly agreed a deal worth €40 million to secure the signing of Amadou Onana from LOSC Lille.
According to journalist Saber Desfarges, West Ham United have reached an agreement to sign Amadou Onana from French club LOSC Lille. The east London giants will be shelling out a fee of €40 million for the 20-year-old midfielder.
Onana joined Lille only last summer, arriving from German outfit Hamburger SV and made a big impression in his debut season in Ligue 1. The midfielder made 41 appearances across all competitions for Les Dogues, scoring three and assisting one goal. He earned his maiden cap for the Belgian national team in June earlier this year.
A defensive midfielder by trade, Onana can also operate as a No. 8, while he also played as a centre-back in the earlier stages of his career. The youngster’s potential and promise, along with his versatility, have earned him a huge admirer in West Ham United. The Hammers have been pursuing his signature all summer long, and seem to have finally made a breakthrough.
West Ham United lost two midfielders this summer as Mark Noble announced his retirement while Alex Kral returned to his parent club after the expiry of his loan deal. So, even though the Hammers have signed Flynn Downes, David Moyes has been pushing to add another central midfielder to his squad.
⚪️? Accord LOSC / West Ham pour Amadou Onana.
Lille a accepté une offre du club londonien de 35 millions d’euros + 5 de bonus.
West Ham a désormais lancé les négociations contractuelles avec le joueur belge ?? pic.twitter.com/XA6sexIQOS
— Saber Desfarges (@SaberDesfa) August 2, 2022
Onana has been on West Ham United’s radar for a while now, with the Hammers having had multiple bids rejected for him already. While it forced them to look at other options, such as Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski, they have simultaneously been working on a deal to convince Lille to part ways with Onana.
And, as per the latest update, West Ham United have been successful in their endeavours as they have reached an agreement with Lille for Onana’s capture. The Hammers will pay a fee of €35 million, plus another €5 million in add-ons to land Onana. Having agreed a deal with the Ligue 1 side, West Ham are now negotiating personal terms with the 20-year-old midfielder.
Once finalised, Onana would become West Ham’s fifth signing of the summer transfer window, following in the footsteps of Nayef Aguerd, Alphonse Areola, Downes and Gianluca Scamacca.
