Manchester United are believed to be considering a move for Everton midfielder, Amadou Onana, with recent reports having indicated that talks have been held regarding a summer move for the towering youngster.
How much would Amadou Onana cost?
According to the Daily Mail, the Red Devils are said to have engaged in 'discussions' over the 'merits' of signing the 21-year-old before the September deadline, with the Belgian international having only made the move to Goodison Park a year ago.
The piece notes that with the likes of Donny van de Beek and Fred likely to be shown the door over the coming weeks, the former Lille man has been considered as a potential replacement, albeit with talks believed to have 'not progressed'.
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With the Toffees having splashed out £33m in order to snap up the Senegal-born giant last summer, the expectation is that the Merseyside outfit could demand a fee of around £50m if they are to sanction a swift sale.
Should Man United sign Amadou Onana?
The 6 foot 4 maestro has caught the eye following a promising debut campaign in the Premier League last time out, having notably been branded a "colossus" by journalist Dominic King amid his current side's bid to stave off the drop.
While regarded as "one of the most exciting prospects in Europe" by former Belgium boss, Roberto Martinez, it remains to be seen if the emerging talent – who has previously been likened to ex-Everton and United man Marouane Fellaini – would be worth investing in as far as Erik ten Hag is concerned.
There may be a concern that the £100k-per-week asset could well simply be just another Scott McTominay, with the latter man – who has been the subject of interest from West Ham United – seemingly sharing notable similarities to Onana, as per the 26-year-old's FBref page.
Also an eye-catching figure at 6 foot 4, McTominay endured an underwhelming 2022/23 campaign after being restricted to just ten league starts following Ten Hag's arrival, with the Scotland international notably coming up short in an attacking sense after scoring just once, providing no assists and creating only two 'big chances' in that time.
That record is not far off what Onana achieved at Goodison, with the one-time Hamburg starlet also scoring just once and providing two assists from his 33 league appearances, having also created only two 'big chances'.
That lack of creativity in the centre of the park can also be seen by the fact that McTominay ranks in just the bottom 5% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for progressive passes per 90, with his Everton counterpart ranking in just the bottom 7% in that regard.
The duo are also unlikely to be figures who attempt to get on the ball and dictate proceedings, with Onana ranking in just the bottom 16% for attempted passes per 90, while the current United man ranks in just the bottom 17% in that regard.
Perhaps the major strength of the pair is in their ball-winning prowess, with Onana ranking in the top 23% for tackles made per 90 – while McTominay ranks in the top 15% in that regard – although their apparent shortcomings on the ball are a cause for concern.
With the United academy graduate having faced criticism throughout his time in the first team – including being dubbed "not good enough" by club legend Roy Keane last year – it may not make sense to acquire a carbon copy in the form of the Toffees titan.
