West Ham go back to drawing board after second Amadou Onana transfer attempt revealed
West Ham United may be about to switch their transfer focus after seeing a second offer for Amadou Onana rejected, according to a report.
Lille midfielder Onana has been on West Ham’s radar in recent weeks. Following the retirement of Mark Noble and the end of Alex Kral’s forgettable loan spell, they have a need for new players in the centre of the pitch.
One has already arrived in the shape of Flynn Downes from Swansea City. It is likely the boyhood fan will be joined by another new face, though, to compete with Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek.
In that regard, another player West Ham have been looking at is Onana. The 20-year-old impressed in his debut season with Lille after joining them from Hamburg last summer.
After catching the eye, Onana was recently the subject of an offer from West Ham. However, their €23million (£19.5m) package was turned down.
Since then, though, they have tried again to lure Onana to the London Stadium. According to the latest from Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth, West Ham have upped their offer to Lille.
This time, they tabled a package worth around €30m (£25.4m). Once again, though, Lille have failed to accept it.
They have the Belgium international under contract until 2026. Therefore, after giving him 41 appearances in his debut season with the club – including eight in the Champions League – they are not going to let him go so easily.
With that in mind, Sheth has relayed that West Ham are now looking at other options on the market – even if they haven’t ended their pursuit of Onana altogether.
West Ham need one more midfielder amid Amadou Onana rejection
It remains to be seen who might join West Ham in midfield this summer. They may want to prioritise finding another centre-forward first, but could come back to address the situation in the middle again.
No one will be able to replace Noble in terms of legacy. But they do need depth, especially since they have European football to play for again.
Hence, perhaps they should look for similar opportunities to the one that landed them Downes. As a West Ham fan, he will be happy to be at the club, even if Rice and Soucek should remain regular starters.
Another option to keep them on their toes could be useful. Interest in a young prospect like Onana has seemed sensible. Now, though, they may have to keep an eye out for alternative opportunities.
In recent years, West Ham have only signed players if they feel the opportunity definitely suits them. Hence, fans may have to be patient to see where they turn to from here.
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