We 'signed' Amadou Onana for Manchester United and Erik ten Hag's midfield question was answered

Manchester United are reportedly interested in Everton midfielder Amadou Onana as Erik ten Hag's search for a new midfielder continues.

A 1-0 win over Wolves saw United's season get off to the perfect start, but the win was far from convincing, with issues in midfield evident. A lack of ruthlessness and stability in the middle was clear to see, and based on United's interest in Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat, a physical presence like Onana looks to be the type of player Ten Hag could target.

According to The Telegraph, United have approached Everton regarding a deal for Onana, but it would take a bid of at least £50million to bring him to Old Trafford. The 21-year-old signed for the Toffees for £33m last summer, so Sean Dyche's side would be looking to make a profit if they were to sell a key player.

If United were to sign Onana, could he improve Ten Hag's midfield? Let's take a look.

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To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2023 editor to arrange for the 21-year-old to join United before their clash with Tottenham this weekend, using FM23 to run the simulation. We then simulated the entire 2023/24 season to see how Onana could perform.

Just four weeks into the season, Scott McTominay suffered an ACL tear, ruling the Scotsman out for the rest of the season and leaving United with limited depth. This allowed even more game time for Onana, but the midfielder's average rating was pretty low compared to his teammates.

Regularly used by Ten Hag, Onana played 43 games in all competitions, scoring no goals whilst picking up four assists. The Belgian failed to win Player of the Match once, averaging a rating of just 6.86 per game - one of the lowest