"Unlikely...": ExWHUemployee drops West Ham transfer update, supporters will be gutted - opinion

ExWHUemployee has dropped an update on reported West Ham United transfer target Amadou Onana.

In a recent post on Twitter, the Hammers insider revealed that, despite it being reported that David Moyes recently saw a €23m (£19.5m) bid for the LOSC Lille midfielder rejected, unless the Ligue 1 side are to reduce their €60m (£51m) asking price for the 20-year-old, it would appear unlikely that the 59-year-old will return with a second offer.

In response to a supporter asking whether the club could make a second move for the Belgium international, Ex said: “Possibly mate. But I would say unless Lille reduce [their] asking price it would be unlikely.”

Considering the sheer amount of potential Onana looks to possess, Ex’s claim that West Ham do not look likely to return with a second bid for the midfielder this summer is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful gutted.

Indeed, over his 32 Ligue 1 appearances last season, the £9m-rated talent highly impressed, scoring one goal and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and winning 3.4 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per game.

According to FBref, the £5.5k-per-week 20-year-old also ranks in the top 6% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for tackles per 90, as well as the top 21% for aerial duels won, the top 24% for clearances and the top 25% for interceptions over the past 12 months.

Furthermore, with Mark Noble having retired at the end of last season and the future of Tomas Soucek appearing increasingly uncertain, it would very much appear as if Moyes could have done with a player in the mould of Onana this summer – even with the impending arrival of Swansea