West Ham wanted Amadou Onana but are now backing away from the Lille midfielder having failed with a £20million offer.
The Hammers are seeking a new midfield addition in what looks to be a major priority for David Moyes’ side.
Mark Noble has retired and loanee Alex Kral has returned to Spartak Moscow after a disappointing season with the Hammers.
Add in that there are now doubts over Tomas Soucek’s long-term future with the club and West Ham may need to push the boat out for a midfielder.
A couple of names have been linked with West Ham and Onana is one that the Hammers seems very keen on.
West Ham wanted Amadou Onana
The Daily Mail report that West Ham offered Lille £20million for Onana but the French club have rejected that offer.
Lille have told West Ham that Onana is simply not for sale this summer.
Lille look set to lose midfielder Renato Sanches to Paris Saint-Germain and understandably don’t want to sell another midfielder.
West Ham are now understood to be considering other options in midfield, seemingly walking away from a potential deal for Onana.
Onana, 20, joined Lille from Hamburg last summer and made an instant impact in France’s top flight.
The Senegal-born Belgium international stands at a gigantic 6ft 5in tall and looks to be on track to become a star holding midfielder in the coming years.
West Ham may well try again later this summer or in 2023 but their hopes of landing the anchor man look to be slim at best.
This will be of interest to Arsenal too as the Gunners have allegedly held talks with Onana’s representatives in recent days.
A creative midfielder has been signed in Fabio Vieira but a more combative option may be wanted too, with Onana on Arsenal’s list.
Yet with Lille absolutely unwilling to sell, Arsenal may be left to focus on developing the young Belgian midfielder they signed last summer in Albert Sambi Lokonga.
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