Everton really thought West Ham were going to try and sign 22-year-old off them when Declan Rice left

There was a belief at Everton that West Ham could try to sign Amadou Onana after Declan Rice left the club this summer.

That’s according to The Athletic, with the outlet sharing a behind-the-scenes look into Everton’s summer window.

West Ham eventually moved to replace Rice with Edson Alvarez from Ajax after their former skipper completed a switch to Arsenal.

The Hammers also bolstered their midfield with the addition of James Ward-Prowse, who’s made an excellent start to life in East London.

But it seems that Everton thought West Ham would move to sign Amadou Onana shortly after Rice left.

Everton thought West Ham would move for Onana

The Athletic reports that at one stage this summer, it was felt West Ham might try to sign Onana.

This was after the Hammers had sold Rice to Arsenal, but Moyes opted to bring in Alvarez from Ajax instead.

It’s noted there is also a belief at Everton that if Onana enjoys a positive start to the campaign, it will only increase interest in the midfielder.

Onana has attracted plenty of interest since making the switch to Goodison Park from LOSC Lille last summer.

The 22-year-old has impressed at Everton despite a difficult period for the club and has admirers in the Premier League.

Indeed, the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea have been heavily linked with a move for the Belgium midfielder.

Of course, a move didn’t materialise for Onana this summer and as for West Ham, they enjoyed a promising summer window.

Ward-Prowse has hit the ground running while Alvarez has looked promising during the early stages of his West Ham career.

But it will be intriguing to see if West Ham revisit their interest in Onana at a later date, especially if he becomes available next summer.