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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Malik Ouzia

West Ham dealt major Amadou Onana transfer blow as Maxwel Cornet talks continue

West Ham’s move for Lille midfielder Amadou Onana is in major doubt, with the club unwilling to match the player’s wage demands.

The Hammers agreed a deal with the French side worth an initial £29million plus £4m in add-ons earlier this week, but have yet to agree personal terms with the player and Standard Sport understands the two parties remain a long way apart in their expectations over salary and bonuses.

The Premier League side are not willing to deviate from their pay structure to meet the demands of a 20-year-old who made only 11 Ligue 1 starts in his breakthrough campaign last season after joining Lille from Hamburg the previous summer.

The deal is not yet off the table but would require a considerable re-evaluation from the player and his representatives, and at this stage the Irons are not confident that an agreement can be reached, with Everton reportedly hoping to capitalise on the situation after submitting a bid of their own.

David Moyes has been targeting central midfield reinforcements all summer, having been left with only Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek in the position following the retirement of Mark Noble and the end of Alex Kral’s loan spell.

Flynn Downes has arrived from Swansea to improve his options but is not earmarked as a regular Premier League starter and Moyes remains in desperate need of at least one more addition.

The Hammers are in talks over Burnley winger Maxwell Cornet, who is viewed by Moyes as a left-wing-back option as well as a wide forward. Cornet seems certain to leave the Championship side before the transfer window closes next month and West Ham are willing to trigger the Ivory Coast international’s release clause but face competition from several other top-flight clubs.

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