Among the plethora of issues at Manchester United this season for manager Erik ten Hag has been the inability to utilise a settled midfield partnership to date, with the frequent chopping and changing in the centre of the park having likely been both a symptom and cause of the club's woes.

While the former Ajax boss largely relied upon an experienced trio of Christian Eriksen, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes last term, it is only the latter man who has been a regular pick of the three this time around.

In the case of Eriksen, the playmaking Dane has started just six of the club's 11 league games so far, while Casemiro had become something of an issue even before his recent injury setback, with Gary Neville notably suggesting that the Brazilian was "torn to shreds" against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the opening weekend.

In his place, deadline day signing Sofyan Amrabat has thus far yet to convince – having been dubbed "off the pace" by treble winner Peter Schmeichel following the Manchester Derby defeat – while fellow new recruit Mason Mount has failed to score or register an assist in the top-flight amid an underwhelming start to life at Old Trafford.

With the wait still on to see when young Kobbie Mainoo will make his much-anticipated return from injury, one of the few figures who has been a consistent pick in midfield is Scott McTominay, with the Scotland hero having shone for both club and country of late.

Having netted seven times during his nation's Euro 2024 qualifying run, the United academy graduate has also popped up with three league goals for Ten Hag's side this season, including bagging a brace at the death to clinch a vital 2-1 win over Brentford last month.

After looking destined for an exit over the summer, it has been some revival for the 26-year-old, yet whether this renaissance continues over a long-term basis remains to be seen, with journalist Samuel Luckhurst hinting that his future could still be uncertain heading into next year.

With that in mind, it is no surprise that a 'midfield turnover' has been mooted for 2024 – as per Luckhurst – with Everton's Amadou Onana among those who could usurp McTominay, and others, in the Red Devils' squad.

Man United transfer rumours – Amadou Onana

As per a report from talkSPORT earlier this week, United are believed to be among the clubs who have Onana on their 'radar' at present, with the Toffees potentially set to be forced to sell some of their saleable assets amid their ongoing financial woes.

The former Lille man only made the move to Merseyside on a £33m deal back in the summer of 2022, yet the indication is that the Belgian star could be up for grabs if Sean Dyche's side do have to sell.

The 22-year-old was notably mooted for a switch to the Theatre of Dreams over the summer – with a £50m asking price having been suggested – although it remains to be seen what Ten Hag and co would have to fork out, with CIES Football Observatory valuing him at nearer to €30m (£26m).

Either way, the Premier League giants could potentially get their hands on an exciting young talent either in January or next summer, with such a deal likely to help freshen up an undoubtedly ageing midfield department.

Amadou Onana's style of play

In a similar vein to McTominay, Onana is an interesting option due to his versatility to feature in a variety of roles across the midfield, as he can line up in front of the back four, in a box-to-box number eight berth, or even as an advanced option behind a centre-forward.

While yet to score so far this term, the Senegal-born giant has impressed with his defensive attributes after averaging 2.5 tackles and recovering 6.5 balls per game from his 11 league appearances – far beyond the record of McTominay, who averages just 1.4 and 3.7 for those same two metrics, respectively, from his nine outings.

That dominant presence is also showcased by the fact that the Everton starlet ranks in the top 5% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for aerial duels won per 90, while his United counterpart ranks in just the top 14% in that regard.

For his quality and style in an attacking sense, it is also interesting to note that Onana has earned comparisons to a high profile figure of United's recent past, in the form of Paul Pogba, with former Toffees man Michael Ball having written last season:

'He has got the talent and reminds me a little bit of Pogba in the way he glides around the pitch with a sense of confidence.'

11 games

11 stats

0 goals & assists

4 big chances created

85% pass accuracy rate

2.5 tackles per game

6.5 balls recovered per game

67% total duels won

7.16 average match rating

Stats via Sofascore

A towering figure at 6 foot 4 – similar to the 6 foot 3, Pogba – the Belgian seemingly uses his physical benefits to good effect having been hailed as an "octopus" by teammate Arnaut Danjuma due to his ability to retain possession and keep opponents at bay.

That comparison is one that has long been linked with Pogba, with the current Juventus man having been nicknamed 'Il Polpo' (The Octopus) during his first stint in Turin, while ex-teammate Jesse Lingard also once noted that you "can't get the ball off him" as "he's an octopus".

Paul Pogba's record at Man United

Such a likeness to the World Cup winner may have United supporters sweating regarding the signing of Onana, yet putting aside Pogba's off-field issues – including his frequent desire to depart Old Trafford when at the club – on the pitch he was an undoubted genius when in his pomp.

Be it his remarkable haul of four assists against Leeds United on the opening day of the 2021/22 season, or his breathtaking run under then-interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – which saw him record 13 goals and nine assists in the league in 2018/19 – there were real standout moments in the Frenchman's spell in red.

While both the club and supporters may have expected more from an £89m investment than a mere League Cup and Europa League triumph, there were glimpses of the world-class talent that Pogba could be, even if not shown over a consistent period.

Of course, the sour end to the 30-year-old's time at the club – in which he was notably booed off against Norwich City in April 2022 – epitomises the polarising status that he holds among supporters, yet on a purely playing basis, the elegant ace could truly sparkle – when he wanted to.

As such, if young Onana is brought into the fold he could perhaps look to emulate the silky style of Pogba, while also adding in his own impressive defensive qualities, thus ensuring that Ten Hag could potentially have an all-round package on his hands.

Perhaps a raid on Goodison in 2024 wouldn't be the worst idea for the Red Devils hierarchy…