Man Utd warned they could be 'buying Fellaini again' with pursuit of midfield target
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has told his old club that Everton's Amadou Onana would be a similar signing to that of Marouane Fellaini, who had a mixed time of it at Old Trafford
Former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand has cautioned his old club against pursuing a deal for Everton midfielder Amadou Onana.
United manager Erik ten Hag is in search of another midfielder before the transfer window closes, with Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat being the primary target. Onana is also under consideration at Old Trafford but Ferdinand believes the signing could backfire for the club.
Ferdinand expressed his concerns on his Vibe with Five podcast (via the Mirror), saying: "(Scott) McTominay upgrade? What is he (Onana), tell me what he is?
"Onana is not a holder, he’s not a destroyer. Every single attribute listed, that’s not Ten Hag to me. Ten Hag’s about playing through the lines, playing off angles."
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He added: "I think he has really good attributes but I don’t think for Man Utd. It’s like (Marouane) Fellaini, it’s like buying Fellaini again for Manchester United." Fellaini signed for the Red Devils from Everton in 2013 during David Moyes' ill-fated time in charge but became a scapegoat for many of the team's problems.
United's midfield came under criticism after the Premier League opener against Wolves, with Gary Neville stating that Casemiro was "torn to shreds" in the middle of the park. Neville suggested that signing Amrabat would put the midfield issue to bed for Ten Hag.
Neville said on Sky Sports: "One thing he [Ten Hag]'s not going to do is go back to the Fred and McTominay style of midfield because they can't play the ball properly. He wants everybody on that pitch to be able to play the ball his way.
Do you think Amadou Onana would be a good signing from Everton for Man Utd? Let us know your thoughts, Red Devils fans.
"What I will say is Amrabat could come in and play alongside Casemiro, perhaps give him some help. Look, he got absolutely torn to shreds tonight Casemiro, Manchester United's midfield were non-existent, they got ripped apart by Wolves.
"Last season when they got emptied in midfield, they moved Fernandes forward and ended up putting Fred or McTominay in alongside Casemiro to be more solid. He wants to get away from that and that's why he has signed Mason Mount. But I think in certain games he will be forced to bring another midfielder in to play alongside Casemiro to handle the ball."
United have been linked with Amrabat throughout the summer, but other clubs, including Liverpool have also shown interest in the Moroccan international. Ten Hag has already allowed Fred and Zidane Iqbal to depart this summer while Donny van de Beek is expected to be the next midfielder to leave, with a potential return to Ajax or a move to Real Sociedad.
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