From Ligue 1: Arsenal meet with agent to sign ‘perfect’ £6m talent ‘destined for greatness’ – report
Arsenal have reportedly held talks with the agent of LOSC Lille midfielder Amadou Onana, with the Gunners interested in signing the Belgian international this summer.
According to RMC Sport via CalcioMercato, Mikel Arteta is looking to sign one more midfielder this summer with Lucas Torreira and Ainsley Maitland-Niles set to leave north London, with Onana being identified as a target for Arsenal following a breakout year for the youngster.
Onana signed for Lille from Hamburg SV and featured heavily for the Ligue 1 side last season, with the 20-year-old playing 32 league matches and winning his first senior cap for the Belgian national team, with interest now high in the Lille talent.
With Lille paying Hamburg just £6m for Onana, the French club could stand to make a huge profit this summer for their star talent, with West Ham also reportedly in the mix to sign the Belgian youngster, though it does appear that Arsenal are leading the charge for the midfielder.
Hailed by Hamburg’s head of sport Jonas Boldt as a player with ‘perfect’ qualities who is also ‘destined for greatness’ as per Total Football Analysis, the hype around Onana is real, with the midfielder set to become a key member of the next generation of Belgian talents, which also includes Arsenal prospect Albert Sambi Lokonga.
Indeed, Arsenal do need to sign an extra central midfielder this summer, and with the Gunners now in talks with Onana’s agents over a potential move, it appears that Arteta is once again banking on youth to fill in a key position for the north London side.
ONANA SIGNING WOULD BE AN EXCITING YET RISKY MOVE FOR ARSENAL
It’s no secret that Arsenal want a second midfielder this summer following the arrival of Fabio Vieira from FC Porto, and whilst Onana would be an exciting addition for the Gunners, it is also a risky one given how young the Belgian is and how little experience he has had in playing top-flight football.
After all, Onana is coming off the back of just his first season with Lille in Ligue 1, and whilst the midfielder impressed both domestically and in the UEFA Champions League, a move to Arsenal in the Premier League might be too soon for the 20-year-old, with the Gunners better off signing a more experience name.
