Manchester United stand on the brink of securing Champions League football for next term and Erik Ten Hag has managed to enjoy a solid first season in charge at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have also secured silverware this campaign due to their Carabao Cup triumph over Newcastle United and could finish 2022/23 with two prizes to their name if they can see off Manchester City in the FA Cup final in early June.

Once the close of play arrives, Ten Hag and his backroom team will turn their focus towards scoping out potential transfer targets ahead of 2023/24.

Football Insider claim that Manchester United are keeping 'close tabs' on Everton midfielder Amadou Onana, who is tied to a contract at Goodison Park that runs until 2027 on a wage of £100k-a-week.

What's the latest transfer news involving Amadou Onana?

The Football Insider report states that Everton would be looking for a fee of £60 million to part ways with the Belgium international, who could be sold to raise funds for their summer rebuild.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones has said that Onana could be a similar signing to that of former Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who joined the Red Devils from Everton for £27.5 million back in 2013.

Jones told FFC: "There's definitely comparisons to be made between Onana and Fellaini if they if he was to follow him into Old Trafford, I think Onana is a bit different. I think that his combativeness and there are traits to his game that actually might make him a better acquisition that what Fellaini was when United signed him."

Onana does resemble something of a Fellaini-type player and was actually compared to the ex-Red Devils and Everton star by former Belgium boss Roberto Martinez, who said in an interview with HLN via Goodison News following Onana's call-up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar: “Someone with such physical presence and dynamism is needed, just think of [Marouane] Fellaini in 2018. “He is also a leader on the pitch who has made strides in his career. From Germany, to France and now the Premier League… He deserves this.”

Despite Everton's struggles on the pitch this term, Onana has made a big impression on Merseyside since joining the club in a deal worth £33 million last year, scoring once and recording two assists in 34 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

His ability to put himself about hasn't gone under the radar, with WhoScored showing that the 21-year-old has successfully won 2.2 challenges per match this season in the Premier League.

FBRef illustrates that Onana is able to act as a dominant presence in the middle of the park and has excelled in aerial duels, ranking in the top 7% of midfielders across Europe's top five divisions for this metric, having managed to win 2.10 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days.

Manchester United have a lot of technicians in midfield, though Onana could help to offer cover for their main enforcer Casemiro with a view to potentially stepping into his position long-term once the Brazilian starts to decline.

TalkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino waxed lyrical over the Dakar-born man's display in Everton's 1-0 victory over Arsenal earlier this year while also complementing his teammate Abdoulaye Doucoure, saying: "They were absolutely brilliant from start to finish, Everton yesterday. I can't give them enough credit. The two boys in midfield, Doucoure and Onana, terrific. Two huge midfielders, they covered loads of ground, they got in the faces of Arsenal, pressed Arsenal when they had the ball. Defensively as a team, their work rate was extraordinary and it got them a result, and a deserved one by the way."

Fellaini went on to have a mixed spell at Manchester United and was used in a variety of different roles, sometimes even as an auxiliary striker and hit 22 goals and 12 assists in 177 appearances for the Premier League giants, as per Transfermarkt.

It is doubtful that Onana would perform the same function if he was to pitch up at Old Trafford; however, his spirited energy in midfield could help to drive Ten Hag's men forward as they look to try and compete for the English top-flight title next campaign.