Lille set £50m asking price for West Ham United target Amadou Onana
Lille have set a £50m asking price for midfielder Amadou Onana, with West Ham showing “serious intent” to get a deal done according to 90min.
The Hammers have had two bids rejected for the young Belgian international, worth around £20m (Sky Sports, July 3rd) and £25m (Sky Sports, July 11) in total.
But it seems the club may be forced to double their bid in order to sign the 20-year-old central midfielder, who only joined the French outfit last summer from Hamburg.
According to 90min on July 12 the 2020 French league champions want at least £50m to do a deal for Onana, who West Ham have taken a serious interest in to bolster their midfield following the retirement of Mark Noble and poor loan spell of Alex Kral.
There is also interest from both Newcastle and Everton, and the player’s contract still has another four years to run meaning they are in a position of strength in negotiations.
Hefty
Money in football is absolutely crazy these days, so much so that there are justifications for Onana to be worth £50m in today’s game.
But if West Ham are serious, it’s a fee that they need to either negotiate down or walk away from because it just isn’t realistic.
Onana has only had two seasons of first-team football in his career and only eight appearances have come at the highest level, with Lille featuring in last season’s Champions League.
His physical presence and ability on the ball certainly seems to suit the way the Hammers play, but it’s hard to believe that at that fee there isn’t a more experienced and proven player available in this window.
There’s a decision to make for the board and for David Moyes here, but they should make it quickly. Don’t waste time dithering, or you could miss out on both Onana and an alternative.