West Ham have had a second bid rejected in their pursuit of Lille midfielder Amadou Onana.
What’s the word?
That’s according to Dharmesh Sheth, who wrote the following on Twitter:
“Had it confirmed West Ham United have had a second bid rejected by Lille for midfielder Amadou Onana.
“The offer was believed to be around €30m. While West Ham haven’t closed the door on pursuing the player, it is thought they are looking at other options.”
Supporters will be gutted
West Ham appears to only have been embroiled in this transfer saga for a short time, but after having a second bid rejected it finally seems like it may be coming to an end.
The workmanlike midfielder would have made a fine addition to David Moyes’ squad and would’ve allowed for greater rotation between himself, Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek.
Having featured 31 times in the league last season, he also earned priceless Champions League experience as he featured in all eight of their games.
This kind of experience could prove invaluable to a West Ham team that are desperate to make the next step up from Europa League football.
His average SofaScore rating of 6.85 is also certainly impressive, as his solid showing across the season earned praise from many who play with and against him.
AS Monaco manager Philippe Clement spoke of how he had attempted to sign the midfielder from Hamburg initially, and how highly he rates him.
He said: “I believe very strongly in Onana’s quality. Consequently, we didn’t get the chance to work with him, but for me, he’s a player with a big future.”
The midfielder ranked in the 94th percentile for tackles per 90 and utilises his 6 foot 4 frame to win 2.06 aerials per 90. He would prove another dangerous set-piece threat for Moyes’ side that sits fifth in goals scored from set-pieces in 2021/22.
Supporters will be gutted to see another bid rejected, as this goliath of a midfielder seems to be destined to stay at Lille. The price tag seems insurmountable, but he could’ve been the perfect midfielder to complement those already at the club.
AND, in other news: West Ham eyeing move for "devastating" £30m-rated gem, he's better than Antonio.