Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - February 22, 2022, Lille's Amadou Onana looks dejected.
West Ham United signing Lille midfielder Amadou Onana this summer has now become ‘so complex’ due to Everton’s interest, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
The lowdown: Tug of war
Having seemingly reached a £33.5million agreement to bring Onana to the London Stadium, Premier League rivals Everton swept in at the eleventh hour to match the Hammers’ offer and scupper the move.
As a result, the 20-year-old Belgium midfielder has reportedly chosen a move to Merseyside over east London, leaving West Ham somewhat in the lurch in the quest to bolster their midfield.
Now, one well-informed onlooker has provided the current state of play on Onana as two domestic giants battle it out in the market…
The latest: ‘Another setback’
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones – a journalist for Eurosport – has claimed that signing the one-cap starlet looks to be a complicated move to get done for the Irons.
He said: “I think, actually, that the deal for Onana is becoming so complex that even when it’s suddenly reported that they’ve made a breakthrough, and they’re on the verge of agreeing a fee, at the same time you hear from other sources at West Ham that actually it’s not as far along and that there’s been another setback.
“I don’t know if, at this point, it’s just that they’re trying to drag out every pound and Euro that they can get for Onana.”
The verdict: Time to move on?
Although signing the youngster – who has recently been compared to ex-Moyes favourite Marouane Fellaini by journalist Sirik Geffray – would represent a sensational coup for Rob Newman and GSB, particularly with rival domestic suitors circling, it may already be time to look elsewhere.
On the eve of West Ham getting their campaign underway against Manchester City, the east Londoners cannot afford to spend much more time attempting to bring Onana to the club before the season is in full swing.
From last term, the Hammers have lost Mark Noble and Alex Kral, whilst Flynn Downes and returning loanee Conor Coventry have arrived to restock the central midfield department.
As such, with an additional midfielder on the agenda for Moyes and co – alongside the deal for Maxwel Cornet – turning attention to alternative targets such as Saint-Etienne sensation Mahdi Camara or fellow Lille ace Xeka (Fbref), all of whom share a close stylistic likeness to Onana, could be the next move from the London Stadium hierarchy.
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