West Ham are eyeing a move for Ligue 1 star Amadou Onana as David Moyes looks to bring in signing number three this summer.
What’s the news?
West Ham are interested in signing Lille midfielder Onana according to reports and face competition from fellow Premier League side Arsenal for his signature.
David Moyes watched the 20-year-old play in Lille’s Champions League clash against Chelsea last season and was impressed with his performance.
It is believed the French side will want in excess of £20m for their player and this shouldn’t be a problem for the club.
He can be Moyes’ own Tchouameni
West Ham have made a solid start to the transfer window, adding £30m defender Nayef Aguerd and making goalkeeper Alphonse Areola’s move from PSG a permanent one after a loan spell last season.
There is scope for more additions, however, with Moyes knowing that adding in some more quality will give his team the best chance to replicate, or even surpass last season’s success.
With club legend Mark Noble retiring, there is a gap in the midfield and this is where Onana fits in.
Moyes will be hoping to land his very own Aurelien Tchouameni in a move for the Belgian, with his former club Monaco now requiring a replacement for the departed Frenchman, Onana has been touted for a move.
Although not quite at the level of Tchouameni yet, there are parallels in their playing styles that could see the 20-year-old soon be worth the £85m that it took for the Spanish giants to prise away the France international.
Onana, who was dubbed a "huge talent" by scout Jacek Kulig, offers a threat going forward from midfield, generating 2.05 shot-creating actions per match and giving himself the best chance to score with 40% of his shots hitting the target.
Defensively is where his main strengths lie, averaging 1.5 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and only being dribbled past 0.2 times per match over the course of the Ligue 1 season.
These qualities are exactly what Moyes is looking for, and Onana would be a very shrewd signing, not just for the future, but for the present.