West Ham fail with opening bid to sign 20-year-old contacted by Arsenal - Reports
West Ham United have reportedly failed with their opening £20 million bid for Lille midfielder Amadou Onana, who has also been linked with Arsenal.
Onana, whose Lille contract expires in 2026, shot to prominence last season with his combative performances in the centre of midfield. Since arriving from Bundesliga 2 outfit Hamburg, he has made 42 appearances for Lille across competitions, registering three goals and one assist
Standing at a sky-scraping 195 cms, the 20-year-old could be the ideal player for West Ham as manager David Moyes continues to search for a deep-lying midfielder this summer. The Hammers are short in the position after Mark Noble's retirement and Alex Kral's loan spell expiring.
Arsenal have already ‘met with the entourage’ of Lille midfielder Amadou Onana, a player they have showed interested in for a long time. Onana also ‘arouses’ other London clubs in the Premier League. [@sachatavolieri] #afc https://t.co/6sk9BxQuyM
According to The Athletic, West Ham have had a £20 million bid for Onana rejected by Lille. The report also states that West Ham are weighing up another offer as they hope to beat the Gunners to the player's signature.
If their improved bid is accepted by Lille, Onana will become the Hammers' third signing this summer. Last month, the club announced the signings of defender Nayef Aguerd from Rennes and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Speaking about Onana at a press conference last season, then-Lille manager Jocelyn Gourvennec said:
"He's on his way and making progress just how we imagined he would. He has a lot of potential and quality. He has a lot of enthusiasm, desire and personality, and we must channel all that."
Earlier, journalist Sacha Tavolieri reported that Arsenal have initiated contact with Onana's representatives over a move this summer. The north London club are also monitoring the availability of Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, as per Ben Jacobs of CBS Sports Golazo.
Gabriel Jesus becomes Arsenal's fourth summer signing
After completing the signings of midfielder Fabio Vieira, goalkeeper Matt Turner and forward Marquinhos, the Gunners have signed Manchester City attacker Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian has arrived on a £45 million deal (per Sky Sports).
🤳 Incoming message… https://t.co/rJ5N6DUY8o
The 25-year-old registered 13 goals and 12 assists in 41 appearances for the Premier League champions last season. He's now set to shoulder the responsibility of leading the attack at the Emirates alongside Eddie Nketiah.
Jesus, a four-time Premier League winner, will wear the number 9 shirt and join up with the Gunners squad for pre-season training in the coming days.