Liverpool are still interested in signing Lille midfielder Amadou Onana, according to The Athletic.
Onana has grabbed the attention of several Premier League clubs after an impressive season in France where he made 32 appearances, scoring once.
The 20-year-old has supposedly attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal, West Ham, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool.
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The Hammers have reportedly had a bid of £25 million rejected for the player in recent days and it’s believed that his most likely destination is London if he departs Northern France this summer.
However, it’s understood that a serious move from Jurgen Klopp could persuade Onana to turn down other offers.
The Dakar born midfielder is a “6ft 5in powerhouse, who has built himself a reputation for breaking up play”, as quoted in the Athletic’s article.
His excellent season at Lille has also earned him a first call-up for Belgium, and he made his international debut for Roberto Martinez’ men in June.
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Liverpool feel that a long-term successor to current deep lying midfielder Fabinho is something that they need to address, and Onana has been identified as a potential option.
The Brazilian turns 29 in October and is part of a Reds middle of the park department that is ageing.
The likes of Thiago Alcantara, James Milner and Jordan Henderson are all already the wrong side of 30.
While 19-year-old Fabio Carvalho has been brought in to freshen up the midfield, more is needed here if Klopp is to rebuild the current iteration of his team.
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Onana’s 3.45 tackles per 90 puts him in the top six percent for all midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for this metric, and demonstrates his superb defensive output.
Although Klopp would need to develop his on the ball attributes, this would represent a smart signing for the Merseyside club.
Having signed Carvalho, Darwin Nunez and Calvin Ramsay already this summer, many suspect that Liverpool’s incoming business may already be wrapped up.
However, there have been murmurings that a new midfielder could be inbound, and Onana fits the profile.
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The is a transfer saga to keep an eye on.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Liverpool, Liverpool Transfer News & Rumours, Arsenal, West Ham United