Soccer Football - Champions League - Group G - Lille v Vfl Wolfsburg - Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France - September 14, 2021 Lille's Amadou Onana in action REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol
Transfer insider Dean Jones has dropped a bombshell claim regarding interest from Newcastle United in LOSC Lille midfielder Amadou Onana.
The lowdown: Rapid rise to prominence
Signed from Hamburg last summer, Onana has continued on an upwards career trajectory at the Ligue 1 outfit and has already established himself as an integral member of the first team.
Born in Senegal, the 20-year-old is a one-cap senior Belgium international has also amassed 67 professional domestic outings, having also represented Hoffenheim with distinction at various youth levels during a three-year stint at the Bundesliga club.
Now, despite only being a recent arrival at Lille and still being under contract until 2026 (Transfermarkt), West Ham have already shown their interest by making a €23m (£19.3m) bid, and Newcastle could be about to follow suit…
The latest: ‘Keeping an eye on him’
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones has claimed that the Magpies have Onana on the radar at St James’ Park, as Eddie Howe looks to bolster the ranks once again.
He said: “I know that with Onana, Newcastle have been keeping an eye on him too.
“So, if they were to look for somebody who’s not especially high-profile, but somebody of a specific style and a defensive midfielder, then they might come in for him too.”
The verdict: Make it happen
Standing just shy of 6 foot 4, Onana certainly boasts an imposing physical presence at the base of the midfield and as such, won 3.4 duels and made 1.5 tackles on average per game whilst earning a respectable 6.85 SofaScore rating in Ligue 1 last term.
Overall, the towering enforcer- who was likened to Liverpool star Fabinho by reputable football talent scout Jacek Kulig – scored three times and provided one assist across 40 appearances across all competitions – featuring in all eight UEFA Champions League matches for Lille in the process.
Unsurprisingly possessing imperious aerial ability as well as strong tackling and passing qualities (WhoScored), Onana would be a sensational signing for Newcastle this summer with the defensive midfield department somewhat threadbare away from Bruno Guimaraes.
Holding a perceived market value at a wholly affordable £9m, even with the lengthy-time remaining on a contract in France, Dan Ashworth and PIF should be confident and moreover, pushing, to make this statement signing happen for Howe.
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