The genius £33m transfer raid Man Utd simply must beat Chelsea to this January

Marouane Fellaini was fun. Fun from a neutral perspective, granted, and largely fun in the same way as that bloke who went viral a couple of Christmases ago for dressing up as The Grinch and charging a young mother £85 to trash her house and pour a bottle of washing-up liquid over her son's head, but fun nevertheless. Somewhere between Disco Stu and an ent, the lanky midfielder - later converted into a lanky makeshift forward - would clash about the place with his flailing elbows and bouncing afro, smashing through any lingering sense of decorum like a bowling ball decimating a basket of breadsticks.

And now, in a pleasing turn for fans of the aforementioned concept of fun, Manchester United could be on the cusp of signing another rangy Belgian from Everton. According to talkSPORT, the Red Devils are considering a January swoop for Amadou Onana, a player who has seemingly been on their radar for quite some time, and who the Toffees may be forced sell in an attempt to ease their ongoing financial struggles.

As per this latest report, Everton are being propped up by potential new owners 777 Sports to the tune of around £20 million every month, and the more protracted their takeover saga becomes, the more likely it is that the club will turn to the transfer market as a means of raising funds.

To that end, Onana is certainly one of their more desirable assets. Alongside United, Chelsea are also credited with an interest in the 22-year-old, who was heavily touted for an exit over the summer before eventually deciding to stay put on Merseyside for the time being. Evidently, circumstances shift, however, and if Everton can make any kind of profit on a player who cost them £33 million just last August, a decision surrounding Onana's future may be taken out of the player's hands.

And from United's perspective, the centre of midfield continues to be a position of perpetual concern. So far this season, Casemiro has endured a notable dip in form, summer signings Sofyan Amrabat and Mason Mount have failed to consistently deliver any kind of meaningful impact, and Scott McTominay, while good in bursts, still doesn't feel like the solution to the Red Devils' woes.

What Onana would represent, however, is not just an accomplished, athletic presence in the immediacy, but also a talent who could grow, develop, and contribute for years to come. At just 22, with nine senior international caps already to his name, he boasts both potential and pedigree, and has repeatedly proven during his time in the Premier League that he is an intelligent reader of the game, a well-rounded box-to-box disruptor, and a handy creative force too.

In fact, in many respects, he brings to mind the player Marouane Fellaini was at Everton prior to his move to Old Trafford. Of course, in the end, the hirsute beanpole became something of an object of ridicule - eventually moving to China, cutting his hair off, and seemingly losing his powers.

But based on his current trajectory, there are no indications that a similar fate awaits Onana. If United can prise him away from Everton in January, they would be fortunate to have him.