Amadou Onana: The one that got away
When West Ham takes on Everton tomorrow, they might face a player David Moyes nearly signed. The Hammers will visit Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon for a Premier League showdown, with Everton aiming for a home win after their hard-fought 1-1 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion. Billy Gilmour’s red card for a nasty tackle involved a player who could have ended up in claret & blue.
Manager Sean Dyche is likely to stick with the 4-4-1-1 formation and make one change to his starting lineup. Amadou Onana is expected to start, having been a top transfer target for West Ham and Moyes at the beginning of the 2022/23 season. Negotiations took place, but the deal fell through, leading Onana to join Everton instead.
It’s a deal that makes West Ham look more than a little silly. Onana has been linked with Manchester United and Barcelona in recent weeks. However the biggest rumour has been of the player moving to Arsenal where he could join former Hammer Declan Rice in midfield.
In midfield, Onana will partner with James Garner, aiming to disrupt a West Ham team that showed improvement against Brentford. On the flanks, Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison will try to make an impact on the left and right sides, respectively.
Abdoulaye Doucoure will assume the number ten role, tasked with creating chances in the final third. However, Idrissa Gueye is unlikely to recover in time for the game. Ashley Young may start on the bench but could be brought on in the second half if needed.