West Ham United have been exploring the possibility of signing Lille and Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana for a while, according to Dean Jones.
The £26m-rated player has been linked with David Moyes’ side throughout the summer.
GiveMeSport Transfer Update With Dean Jones
What’s the latest on Onana?
According to The Athletic, West Ham have had a £19.7m bid for Onana rejected, with the club insisting that he is not for sale.
The report goes on to state that the Irons are currently weighing up as to whether to make another bid for the one-time Belgium international.
West Ham have made just two senior additions to the squad this summer, with Nayef Aguerd and Alphonse Areola joining from Ligue 1 sides Stade Rennais and Paris-Saint Germain respectively.
And Jones believes that the club have been looking into signing Onana for a while, and are happy to keep buying players from both the French and Belgian market.
What has Jones said about Onana?
He told GIVEMESPORT: “That's been one that they've been looking at for a while.
“That French and Belgian market is one that they really like because they feel that there's a lot of untapped ability and a lot of potential is still going to come through.”
Will Onana join West Ham?
Despite Lille’s adamant stance that Onana is not for sale, every player has their own price and if the Irons were to offer enough money, the Ligue 1 club would be forced to sell the 20-year-old to the Premier League club.
The Belgian starlet has been described as a “huge talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, and it’s easy to see why.
Onana made 42 appearances for the French club last season, scoring three goals and providing a singular assist from defensive midfield, according to Transfermarkt.
But it’s defensively where the 6 foot 5 beast’s talents lie, and he ranked in the top 6% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues and European competition for tackles made per 90 minutes last season (3.45) according to FBref.
In fact, Onana made a combined 86 tackles and interceptions last season according to the same stats provider, suggesting that he would be extremely adaptable to the rigours of Premier League football.
And an average SofaScore rating of 6.85 for his performances in Ligue 1 last season suggest that the young Belgian is able to perform on a consistent basis when called upon by his manager.
At 20-years-old, Onana has the potential to be a leading holding midfielder across Europe for years to come, and West Ham would do well to invest in his transfer.